Yuma Tsukumo's Day Off
by Sharkey52
Summary: Yuma decides to take the day off from school. Because why go to school when you can have an adventure in downtown Chicago with your two best friends, all while avoiding parents, your resentful younger sister and the dean of students, Mr Heartland? [Modern AU - everyone lives in Indiana, because] (very obviously based on Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which is an awesome film by the way)
1. Plotting

**So, after a year in the Arc-V fandom, and with VRains on the way, I thought I'd try dipping my toe into the Zexal fandom with this 25000 monster of a story. It's so big, I'll be posting it in seven chapters, so I'll be posting one every day until this time next week.**

 **If you couldn't tell by the title, this story is based on Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which is an awesome film that you should go see and soon as you've finished reading this chapter. It's a film with a huge amount of background characters, so expect this story to be Cameo Alley. Literally, I was googling which Zexal characters I** _ **hadn't**_ **used yet by the end of it.**

 **Just a little note at the start, I had to fudge some ages to get the story to flow smoothly, so there are a few changes, like Kaito's a year younger than Shark and Yuma here (weird, I know, but it'll make sense later on). So I've made a quick list as to who's in each year:**

 **Senior: Yuma, Astral, Shark, IV, Gilag, Tetsuo, Takashi** **, Tokunosuke and Cathy**

 **Junior: Kaito, Rio, III, Kotori, Sanagi, Alit, Anna and Fuya**

 **Freshman: Haruto, Sei, Sachi and Dog-Chan**

 **Junior School: Lily, Orbital, Ponta**

 **One last note (I swear these notes are getting a little ridiculous now), the Tsukumo family's expanded a bit in this AU. For the sake of plot, Kotori is Yuma's younger sister and as is Lily, who's based on Obomi (for her dub name Lillybot).**

 **I swear this story's not that complicated to read - I'm just putting this here so that people don't clog up the reviews with questions about people's ages and relations later. Though reviews are most certainly welcome! (Please give me reviews, pretty please)**

* * *

Most mothers choose to wake up their children with a kiss on the forehead or turning the light on in their rooms. Mirai Tsukumo apparently thought the best way to wake everyone in the family home up was to blast the radio from the kitchen.

"Oh my god! Mom! Seriously?!"

"Hey, William. You better be awake! That first draft has to be in this morning!"

"Honey, have you seen my keys?"

"Who peed all over the toilet seat?!"

Groaning with protest, Yuma slammed his pillow over his head, drowning out the sound of his arguing relatives, and yet the sound of the radio still permeated it.

"Well would you look at that, it's another lovely day in Chicago! 72 at O'Hare, 74 at Midway…"

"MOM?! Where's my history textbook?!"

"You seriously weren't awake?! And you wonder why I call you before work every morning!"

"Ah, there are my keys! Now where's my wallet?"

"OH MY GOD! The toilet paper's all wet!"

"Try the dresser, Sweetheart. I'm going to get Yuma out of bed."

Yuma quickly connected the dots. Grandma was away visiting her sister. Mom and Dad were going to be at work. Akari would be holed up in her office downtown all day working on her new scoop. Lily and Kotori would be at school.

A grin crept across Yuma's face.

Perfect.

' _I've gotta do it, just one more time_ ' he decided ' _Once more before school ends. One last adventure_.'

As he heard his mother's footsteps on the stairs, Yuma quickly licked both his palms, turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling with his eyes bugged out and tongue hanging out.

He heard the door creak open. "Yuma. Breakfast is on the table."

Yuma reached his hand out weakly, his voice wavering as he spoke. "Mom? I don't feel so good."

Mirai's eyes widened with alarm as she crossed the room to take her son's hand.

"It's alright, honey" she told him, laying her hand against his forehead "No fever, but your hands _are_ rather clammy. How are you feeling?"

Yuma had to restrain himself from grinning – the clammy hands always worked. "My stomach hurts, and I'm seeing spots."

Mirai nodded understandably, turning her head in the direction of the door. "KAZUMA!"

"What's the matter?" his father's voice came from down the hall.

"It's Yuma!"

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Mirai all but snapped "Get in here and see what's wrong! Look at him!"

Kazuma immediately strode into the room, his face a picture of worry. If Mirai was so upset, it must be serious. "Yuma?"

"He doesn't have a fever, but he says his stomach hurts and he's seeing spots" Mirai explained "And his hands are cold and clammy – feel them."

Kazuma did so, and just looked more concerned. "Do you want me to call a doctor?"

Yuma coughed as hard as he could, frantically shaking his head. "No! No doctors!"

Mirai and Kazuma stared at him in concern.

"Yuma, you don't want your dad to call a doctor?" Mirai asked.

"No doctors! I'll be fine!" Yuma told them in as raspy a voice as he could manage "I can get up!"

As he tried to get up, his mother pushed him back down onto the bed gently. Yuma flopped back, like he hadn't the strength to move.

"I have a test today!" Yuma insisted "I have to take it! I want to graduate and have a good and fruitful life!"

"You're not going to school like this, Yuma" Mirai insisted, then turning to her husband "Maybe I should call the office and tell them I'm not coming in today?"

' _No, no don't do that_ ' Yuma's brain was racing as he fumbled to keep up the act "I'm okay, Mom! I'm perfectly…Oh god!"

He flopped back again, faking a seizure as best he could, his body stiffening as he choked.

"Oh what now?" Kotori, Yuma's younger sister, appeared in the doorway, hands on her hips as she tapped her foot "What's wrong with him this time?"

"He doesn't feel very well" Mirai told her daughter with a sympathetic smile.

Kotori scoffed. "Yeah right – dry that one out and you could fertilise the lawn."

Yuma tried not to frown. The only ones he could never fool were his sisters. Lily – at just twelve – had learnt to pick her fights and left Yuma to own scheming. Akari had taught him everything there was to know about fooling their parents – heck, she encouraged him in it. Kotori though was the stereotypical good child – seeing Yuma get away with things she disapproved of completely set her off.

Kazuma frowned disapprovingly. "That's enough, Kotori."

Kotori stared at him in disbelief. "You're not seriously falling for this, are you? You're seriously not falling for this?"

"Is that Kotori?" Yuma gasped "Kotori, I can't see that far. Kotori? I…"

He gagged in order to avoid breaking into a smirk at Kotori's outraged expression.

"Suck it up, Yuma" Kotori scowled.

Mirai also didn't look impressed with her daughter. "Thank you, Kotori. Now go to school."

Kotori still sounded angry, but also defeated. "You're really letting him stay at home? Seriously? I can't believe this. If I was bleeding out of my eyeballs you'd make me go to school! It's so unfair!"

"Please don't be upset with me, Kotori" Okay, Yuma was totally taking advantage of the situation "Be thankful that you're fit and healthy! Cherish it!"

"I'm gonna puke" Kotori remarked, her eyes filled with mascara and vengeance.

She stormed off down the hallway, only for Lily to peer into the room.

"Myocardial infarction?" she guessed.

Yuma felt a surge of pride for her. Kotori may be uptight, but Lily was going to be a wonderful fill for the Tsukumo children legacy once he left home. Her obscure medical knowledge would fool their parents for years to come.

"Get your stuff" Kazuma told her "Akari's taking you to school."

"Syphilitic meningitis?" Lily guessed again "That would be an embarrassment to the whole family."

Yuma shot her a pouty look.

"Get downstairs" Kazuma told her with increasing aggravation.

"If he dies, I get his computer" Lily stated.

Before Kazuma could lose his temper, Akari appeared in the doorway, grabbing Lily by the shoulder. "Don't worry, Dad! I've got her!"

She looked at Yuma, then shot him a knowing wink as she dragged Lily out of the doorway. Yuma heard the sound of the three girls leaving, the front door slamming behind them.

"I'll be okay" Yuma told his parents now that they were alone "I'll just sleep. Maybe I'll have an aspirin around lunch."

Mirai appeared to mull this over, before sighing reluctantly. "I'll be showing houses to a couple from Vermont around the neighbourhood. My office will know where I am, if you need me."

"Don't let yourself get too sick – if you feel you're getting worse, let you mom know so we can get you to a doctor and sort it out" Kazuma added.

Yuma sniffed like he was welling up with tears. "It's so nice knowing that I have such loving, caring parents. You're both such wonderful people."

Mirai gently stroked his hair. "I hope you feel better, Pumpkin."

"Okay, Pumpkin" Yuma repeated back to her.

Mirai kissed his forehead. Kazuma patted him on the shoulder.

"Get some rest" Kazuma told him as they left the room together.

Yuma let out a wheeze, glassy eyes watching the door as it closed. He listened hard for the sound of the front door closing and two cars leaving the driveway.

Sitting up, he cheered loudly: "They bought it!"

* * *

Several miles away, at Heartland Academy, Mr Ukyo Kitano was taking note of who was in his senior homeroom class, reading across the rows of desks.

"Todoroki."

Takashi looked up with a million dollar smile. "Here."

"Katherine."

"Here, meow~!" Cathy spoke up.

"Takeda."

Tetsuo raised his hand.

"Tsukumo."

Silence.

Mr Kitano surveyed the class with a frown. "Tsukumo."

Silence. Again.

"Tsukumo."

Everyone turned in their seats to look at Yuma's empty desk.

"Tsuku—"

"Mr Kitano, Yuma's not here."

The class turned to look at Cathy Katherine, who had shyly raised her hand.

"He's sick, Mr Kitano" she explained "My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going out with this girl who saw Yuma pass out at the BARian last night. I think it's pretty serious."

"Ah" Mr Kitano seemed satisfied with that response "Thank you, Cathy."

Cathy grinned back. "No problem whatsoever, meow!"

Mr Kitano shrugged and continued the rollcall. "Hyori."

"Present!" Tokunosuke declared.

"Kamishiro?" Silence. Once again. Mr Kitano looked a little exasperated. "Did Kamishiro pass out at the BARian too?"

* * *

Ryouga Kamishiro, owner of the unfortunately nickname of 'Shark' after that one time their Biology teacher put Jaws on the TV to teach them the harsh realities of Mother Nature, had not in fact passed out at the BARian. Instead, after a round of mocking from his sister, he was tucked up in bed with the curtains drawn, blasting U2 music from the speakers so loudly that the neighbours would've complained had they not been at work. In fact, the only reason he heard the phone ringing was because the stereo was halfway between changing tracks.

With a groan, he reached out and picked up the phone. "Rio, I swear to god, I _am_ sick. Go back to class, alright, I'm not coming in."

"Hey Shark!" It wasn't Rio's voice on the other end of the line and Shark couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

"What do you want, Yuma" It wasn't a question, just a necessary statement.

"You gotta get over here! I'm taking the day off!"

Shark groaned. "I can't, I'm sick."

"I know, Rio called me" Yuma told him and Shark regretted introducing Yuma Tsukumo to his younger sister for the millionth time "She says it's all in your head, so get over here."

"I'm can't – I'm incapable of moving" Shark insisted.

"Is you mom in the room or something?"

"No, she's at work" Shark told him, then immediately regretting what he'd just said.

"Then you have no excuse!" Yuma told him "Get over here and pick me up! We're taking a road trip!"

Shark hung up on him, burying himself under the covers. Within seconds, the phone was ringing again. Shark ignored it.

This continued for approximately fifteen minutes, until Shark came to the conclusion Yuma wasn't going to give up and let him be sick in peace, so he picked up the phone again.

"I'm _dying_ " he insisted.

"You're not dying" Yuma told him "You just can't think of anything good to do. Come on, I'll be outside in half-an-hour, okay? Don't forget some snacks!"

This time, it was Yuma who hung up on Shark, honestly believing Shark was going to pick him up and take him on some hare-brained adventure.

Which Shark probably _was_ going to do, wasn't he?

Sighing, Shark kicked the covers off him. If Yuma said half-an-hour, he wouldn't be ready for at least an hour. Shark had time to kill.

* * *

Hanging up on Shark, Yuma went on an important hunt. One of the first things Akari taught him – always make sure you have sufficient funds when ditching. Nothing was worse than the fun having to stop because you ran out of money.

Luckily, Yuma's father had a penchant for spending.

That may not sound lucky, but it was. It meant that whenever Mirai got a cheque, she would keep it in a shoebox until she truly _had_ to cash it. It wasn't unusual for her to have twenty of them at a time. She rarely kept track of them and if she did notice one was missing, she'd blame it on Kazuma.

' _Not that she hides it very well_ ' Yuma thought as he dug the shoebox out from behind the pipes under the kitchen sink.

To give Yuma credit, he tried to take as small a cheque as possible. Rather than going for the meatier ones, he settled for a three hundred dollar cheque. The odds were he wouldn't even use most of it.

Just to be on the safe side, he headed to Kotori's bedroom and riffled through her purse, taking a twenty and a ten. It wasn't like Kotori spent it on anything – she didn't smoke, she didn't play video games and snacks made you fat, apparently. Money was wasted on her. She probably wouldn't even notice – the purse more than likely hadn't been opened in several months.

With the monetary problem settled, Yuma's thoughts turned to their third musketeer. Yuma had learnt from numerous other sick days that going on an adventure with just two people was a bad idea – if you fell out, it ruined the day for both of you, and fallings out was less likely to occur if you were in a group. Since this was more than likely going to be Yuma's last adventure during high school (it was almost summer and, besides, he was pretty sure he was going to have to actually cough up a lung to convince his parents he was sick _again_ ) he could not afford for anything to ruin his day. So, a third person was necessary.

The first person Yuma's mind turned to was Astral, obviously. But Astral wasn't in town today, and Yuma had never managed to get Astral to ditch school with him anyway. And to be honest, if any other member of Yuma's class went AWOL today, some teacher was going to get suspicious about the number of seniors absent that day.

So, someone in another year then? Which juniors did Yuma hang out with?

Rio was an obvious choice, but if her brother was already sick and she went missing in the middle of the day, someone was going to put two and two together. Another lesson from Akari – never take siblings that attend the same school.

Michael Arclight, who they all nicknamed III as he was the third Arclight brother to attend Heartland Academy, would also be an option, if III's older brother wasn't coming home from university that evening. III would spend the whole day worrying about not being home on time to see his brother, and worrying would put a damper on their adventure. That and his other older brother would whine for hours about not being invited too, even though Shark couldn't stand the guy.

Alit was another option, but Yuma's chest deflated at the thought of Alit. Alit had gotten into a lot of trouble due to his older brother, a guy called Vector who was a real psycho. Alit had mostly been able to power through it, and Yuma and Astral stuck up for him whenever they could. But the problem with most small towns, was that if one family member was screwed up, the entire town expected the rest of the family to go the same way. Apparently Alit had received a hard knock recently, when his best friend Gilag's parents had banned him from going round to Gilag's house. Now it appeared Alit was content to become the town punk; after all, it was what was expected of him, right? Yuma was worried, but his parents had insisted he give Alit time to sort himself out – Yuma's presence may just make things worse. Alit was fundamentally a good kid, and just needed a little bit of time to learn that on his own. Besides, Alit more than likely wasn't at home or school; Yuma wouldn't know how to get in contact with him.

So, Alit was out. Who else did Yuma know in junior year?

The answer hit him, and Yuma was somewhat disappointed that he hadn't thought about this option sooner.

Problem was, he was pretty sure this guy was already in school. That meant he was going to need Shark's help. But Shark was one of his best friends – he shouldn't be too upset, right?

In the meantime, there was something Yuma could do before Shark turned up.

Yuma dialled a familiar number, grinning at the fact that everything was going so smoothly. Akari would be so proud.

"Hey, Takashi? It's Yuma! I need to call in on that favour you owe Akari! Don't worry, I'll let her know you've paid it!"

* * *

"Well well, would you look at that. Yuma Tsukumo, absent for the ninth time since Christmas."

Secretary Droite didn't look up from her typing at the sound of Mr Heartland, dean of students at Heartland Academy, musing to himself about plotting the downfall of a wayward Tsukumo. He'd been doing this every other day from the moment Akari Tsukumo had set foot in 'his' halls.

"Well, he's not getting away with it this time" Mr Heartland declared, dialling Mrs Tsukumo's work number – a number he knew by heart by now.

"Hello?"

"Mrs Tsukumo" Mr Heartland declared with a smug flourish "Are you aware that your son Yuma isn't in school today?"

Mrs Tsukumo gasped, and Mr Heartland nearly fistpumped with victory, until she followed the gasp up with: "Oh, yes! Yes, I know! I'm so sorry! I forgot to call in!"

Mr Heartland retained himself from yelling with outrage. "Are you also aware than Yuma doesn't have…well…the most _stellar_ of attendance records?"

There was silence on the other end of the line for a heartbeat or two. "I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean."

"He's missed nine days of school so far since Christmas" Mr Heartland stated with a smug smile "If he continues this streak, he could be held back a year."

"Nine days?!" Mrs Tsukumo sounded shocked "My goodness! How could he have missed nine days?"

"Perhaps because he's been faking those days, Mrs Tsukumo" Mr Heartland suggested slyly.

"Wait a minute, is that Mr Heartland?" Mrs Tsukumo's voice was turning from shocked to angered "You're the same piece of trash that always made out that Akari was truanting!"

"Well, it appears her brother is following in her footsteps" Mr Heartland told her.

"First you try to besmirch my daughter's name and now you're going after my son!" Mrs Tsukumo's voice came so loud down the phone line that Mr Heartland had to hold the phone away from his ear to prevent him going deaf. "Well Mr Heartland, if you don't start leaving my family alone, I'm calling the phone on your ass!"

The phone hung up, and Droite resisted the urge to laugh at the look on Mr Heartland's face, somewhere between disbelief and outrage.

"She can believe what she wants" Mr Heartland scowled "But I have the proof here that—"

His voice cut off as he stared at his computer screen. He had Yuma Tsukumo's attendance record on the screen. Where the number had once said '9', it now said '2'.

"That Tsukumo brat!" he yelled, jumping up from his seat "He must've have someone hack my computer! He won't get away with this!"

Droite just let him rant. If nothing else, his antics always made for amusing dinnertime stories with her fiancé Gauche.

* * *

"Kotori!"

Kotori was startled when Fuya Okudaira came running up to her in the hallways. Fuya was in her year, but they didn't share any classes and they didn't exactly talk very often, so she was surprised to see him running towards her.

"I'm sorry about Yuma" Fuya told her.

Kotori frowned, gripping her school books to her body tighter. "Sorry about what?"

"I heard he's sick" Fuya told her "I heard that if he dies, he's giving his eyes to Stevie Wonder. He's such a nice guy, right? Tell him I hope he gets better!"

As Fuya went running back down the hallway, Kotori's grip on her books tightened so much that her knuckles turned white.

' _Damn that Yuma_ ' she thought ' _Doing whatever he wants. How is this even getting around school_?'

"Hey, Kotori! How's Yuma doing? Is he really dying?"

The person who had just spoken had to duck to avoid a heavy textbook being hurled at their head.

* * *

At home, Yuma was on the phone to a certain freshman he knew. Kaito would probably blow a fuse if he found out Yuma had been using his brother to spread rumours, but then again, if he was so paranoid, Kaito shouldn't have given Yuma his younger brother's number, should he?

"The doctor sent some of my blood to the Atlanta Disease Control centre" Yuma told him, reading from a page of Akari's notebook where she kept her list of great reasons to get of the work and/or school. Yuma had to admit, some of them were pretty inventive, but people would believe anything if you sold it to them right. "I'm really nervous. I hope it's not that bad."

"Are you feeling okay?" Haruto's innocently worried voice drifted down the phone line "Do you have, like, stomach cramps? I have some medication I take when I feel like that."

"Have you ever seen Alien, the movie?" Yuma asked "You know, when the alien explodes out of the guy's stomach. It feels like that."

* * *

Meanwhile, Haruto was in his homeroom class, staring wide-eyed at Yuma's admission. The rest of the class was gathered around him and the phone, anxiously waiting for news.

"Um…I've never seen that movie, but that sounds bad" Haruto told him. He then placed the phone against his shoulder to muffle it, and asked the rest of his class: "Have any of you seen the movie Alien?"

Everyone shook their heads. Haruto sighed and returned to the phone. "Yes Yuma, I'm still here."

"Who's he talking to?" Sei asked her friend Sachi.

"Yuma Tsukumo" Sachi told her "You know him?"

Immediately Sei got excited. "Of course! He's getting me out of summer school!"

"Anyway, we all appreciate you telling us how you're doing, and we hope you get better soon" Haruto told Yuma over the phone "Classes are about to start in a minute so we have to go…what?" He paused for a moment, then nodded with comprehension. "Of course."

"I hope he doesn't die" Sei commented "I don't think I could survived summer school."

Haruto saw a girl passing his desk, and he grabbed her arm before she could walk away. "Have you seen Alien?"

Pip, nicknamed Dog-chan for her love of dogs, frowned with confusion. "Yeah, so?"

Haruto passed her the phone.

"Hello?" Dog-chan asked "Oh, hello Yuma!" Her expression turned to horror. "Oh my god! You're dying?! Is it serious?! Are you okay?!"

* * *

In his office, Mr Heartland was comparing his computer copy to his hard copy. He could say the computer version was faulty, but then it could be argued that the computer was faulty when the hard copy was printed.

"I don't trust this kid any further than I can throw him!" Mr Heartland declared "Exactly like his sister!"

"With your bad knee, sir, I don't think you should be throwing anybody" Droite told him from her desk.

Mr Heartland just stared at her for a long moment, but Droite didn't take the bait.

"You know what's so dangerous about a kid like Yuma Tsukumo?" Mr Heartland told her "He gives good kids bad ideas. Like that Astral kid. The last thing I need at this point in my career is fifteen hundred Yuma Tsukumo disciples running around these halls – we dodged a bullet with the last one, but her brother seemed even more influential."

"He's very popular, sir" Droite informed him "Everyone from jocks to geeks to motorheads. They all adore him."

"Which is exactly why I have to catch him this time" Mr Heartland told her, smiling pleasantly like he thought Droite was agreeing with his line of thinking "To show these kids that the example he sets is the first-class ticket to nowhere."

"How many times have you stood in front of the mirror reciting that speech?" Droite asked, somewhat curious.

Mr Heartland didn't respond beyond an indignant squawk.

* * *

Putting down the phone from talking to Haruto, Yuma flopped back on his bed, glancing at the clock. Shark was already five minutes late and nothing could get done until Shark arrived. The beautiful summer day was wasting away pointlessly.

"Poor Shark" he commented "I bet he's sitting on his driveway right now, debating whether or not to come here."

* * *

Shark was in fact sitting in his driveway, straddling his motorcycle, staring at the speedo as if it held the answers to the universe. Or, at least, whether he should start the engine or not.

"We're gonna get caught" he muttered "No doubt about it."

He took the keys out of the ignition with a sense of finality.

"I'm not doing it" he decided "I don't owe Yuma anything. I don't care if Rio teases me about being a wuss, I'm not going."

He stared at the speedo again.

"He's gonna keep calling until I head over" he stated.

With a sigh, he put the key back in the ignition and started the engine.

"You know what, that won't happen" Shark declared " _I'll_ get caught and sent to juvie or whatever. Yuma will escape, and when I try and pin it on him, no one will believe me."

A few seconds later, he turned the engine off.

"I'm not a wuss. I'm looking out for my best interests."

He started the engine again.


	2. Stealing

**Presenting chapter two of Yuma Tsukumo's Day Off. I think this one came off more funny, since the last chapter was sort of setting up the plot.**

 **Kaito, for the record, I am so sorry for putting you through this, but I couldn't resist. Do it for the readers.**

* * *

Back at Heartland Academy, the junior year's history lesson had started. Kaito couldn't even remember why he'd signed up to take history. Had he even signed up? Maybe his father had signed him up for him. Kaito wouldn't put it past the guy.

"Roosevelt's health had seriously deteriorated by the time he met with Churchill and Stalin at Malta" the teacher giving the lesson declared, then squinting at the textbook "No, Yalta, sorry. Yalta." He sneezed. "Pardon me."

Kaito was still trying to work out why Roosevelt's health problems were relevant to a high school education. In his opinion it should be the teacher's health problems that needed assessing.

He glanced across at Rio Kamishiro, who was sat at the desk next to him. She, like him, wasn't bothering with taking notes. She yawned loudly, yet still the teacher didn't notice. Something about that textbook must be awfully fascinating to him. Kaito wished he could see what it was. Maybe someone had laced the paper with some illegal drugs.

Actually, that sounded like something Thomas Arclight would do.

The classroom door opened and the school nurse walked in, her face the picture of sombreness. For a minute, it appeared the teacher thought she'd come in because she'd heard him sneeze. The nurse quickly crossed the classroom and whispered something into his ear. Instantly, everyone was paying attention, eager to learn what this new development was all about – far more interesting than World War Two history, that was for sure.

The teacher's face dropped as it was clear he was given some disturbing news. He nodded grimly to the nurse, who then looked straight at Kaito.

"Kite Tenjo?" she asked.

Kaito sat up straight. 'Kite' Tenjo? Clearly she'd been in contact with his father. Except, his father should be knee-deep in research at the university by this point in the morning, dead to the world outside those four walls. So, someone pretending to be his father then?

Immediately Kaito caught on and tried not to look to amused as the nurse, the picture of compassion and understanding, addressed him again.

"Can I speak to you outside for a moment?" she requested.

If Kaito jumped up from his seat and packed his bag a little too quickly, then who were his classmates to judge? Rio glanced at him with an eyebrow raised, clearly knowing something was up.

"Dead grandma" he mouthed to her.

Rio's face broke into a smile that probably would've become a grin if not for the circumstances, and she mouthed back: "Have fun."

Kaito followed the nurse into the corridor, where she took his hands reassuringly.

"Kite, sweetheart, your father just called" she told him "Your grandmother just passed away."

Kaito had never been good at faking sadness (or any emotion really) especially when he was trying not to smirk with amusement. Instead, he settled for staring at her in shock, as if he couldn't process what he'd just been told.

"Dead?" he echoed.

The nurse hugged him reassuringly. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry…"

She would indeed be sorry if she didn't let go of him soon. Surely punching a nurse could be written up as stress due to the sudden death notification of his fictional grandma.

* * *

" _Dead_?!" Mr Heartland echoed "His grandmother's _dead_?!"

"Yes sir" Droite told him "That's what his father said. The nurse just informed him."

Mr Heartland leant back in his chair thoughtfully. There was a fair amount of bad blood between himself and Kaito's father, and it appeared his oldest son had taken up the mantle of making Mr Heartland's life difficult. It was never direct retribution, just passive aggressive things. Like rigging the staff toilet so when it flushed it leaked sewage all over the bathroom floor, or handing out the answers to midterms to students or putting a live cobra in his office.

Alright, Mr Heartland couldn't prove that one, but he was certain that suspicious death of Kaito's grandmother had to be another stab at Mr Heartland's reputation.

"You're quite friendly with Tenjo" he commented to Droite "Who does he hang around with?"

"Well, since Christopher Arclight graduated last year, his little brother mostly" she commented "I see him with Rio Kamishiro a fair amount. And Yuma Tsukumo of course."

A smirk spread across Mr Heartland's face, all the dots lining up.

"What's the good Doctor's work number again?" he asked.

Droite got up and passed Mr Heartland's desk on the way to the filing cabinet. But before she got there, Mr Heartland's desk phone rang. Droite picked it up for him.

"Mr Heartland's desk" she responded "Yes, can you hold for second?" She laid the phone against her shoulder and turned to Mr Heartland. "It's Dr Faker."

Mr Heartland stared up at her for several seconds, dumfounded. He then took the phone from her, a placid smile smoothed over his face. "Ah, Dr Faker. We meet again. It's been a while."

"Uh…yes. This is Dr Faker" said an obviously deepened voice from the other end of the line "I guess you heard the bad news already. I was hoping to collect my son from school, so we can navigate this difficult time together."

Mr Heartland rolled his eyes behind his glasses. This was so obviously Yuma Tsukumo. I mean, come on, if this really was Dr Faker, why would be only pick up his oldest son and not his youngest? Yuma needed to step up his game to beat _him_.

"I heard, and I'm honestly so broken up about this" he stated with highly faked empathy "Oh sure, I'd be happy to release Kaito. You produce the corpse, and Kaito can go. I want to see this dead grandmother first. School policy, you see."

Droite stared at Mr Heartland in alarm, but before she could intervene, her desk phone also rang.

"Mr Heartland's office" she announced yet again.

"Hey Droite! It's Yuma!" Yuma's voice declared cheerfully from the other end of the line "Can you pass me on to the old guy, please? It's real important."

Droite's heart sunk down to her feet. She hurried over to Mr Heartland's desk, where the dean of students was badmouthing Kaito's father down the line.

"Sir, Yuma Tsukumo's on line two" she told him.

Mr Heartland froze, his face the picture of horror as he stared at the green light flashing for line two on the phone's cradle.

* * *

Back at Yuma's house, Yuma was throwing some of his sister's clothes into a carrier bag – some of the smaller one that she never wore anymore.

"Hey Mr Heartland" he called cheerfully down the line "Sorry to call you when you're busy at work, but I was wondering if my sister Kotori could bring home my assignments today, since I'm off sick." He threw in a hacking cough to throw Mr Heartland off the scent. "If you could tell my teachers, it would mean a lot to me."

Silence was the only response he got.

Downstairs on the main landline, Shark was on the other phone, using his 'Dr Faker' voice as he heard the sound of Mr Heartland switching back onto line one again.

"Sir, I think I owe you an apology—"

"You ought to be sorry, for Christ's sake!" he declared, feeling the tension drain out of him with every word "A family member dies and you go and insult me! What's the matter with you anyway?!"

Shark could practically _see_ Mr Heartland sweating and it was a glorious feeling.

"I'm extremely sorry, sir" came the frantic reply "I didn't recognise your voice. I thought you were someone else. You have to know, sir, despite any history between us, I would never deliberately insult one of the parents of my wayward flock. I'm can't even begin to tell you how embarrassed I am."

At this moment, Yuma came down the stairs with the bag of clothes and the money they needed.

"Well pardon my French, but you're…an asshole!" Shark declared, enjoying this way too much.

Yuma shot him a thumbs up.

"Absolutely!" Mr Heartland's voice responded, sounding like he was wringing his hands "I most certainly am!"

"This isn't over yet, buster!" Shark continued, almost losing the professionalism in his voice as he went on "You better have my son outside of those school doors when I get there. You read me?"

"Loud and clear, Dr Faker!"

Yuma grinned at Shark, mouthing "You're doing great!"

"I don't have all day to bark at you, so I'll make this short as sweet" he declared "I want my son out in front of the school in ten minutes. I don't want anyone around—"

Yuma frantically mimed slashing his throat in distress, mouthing: "Too suspicious."

Panicking, Shark wasn't thinking all that clearly. "Uh, I changed my mind! I want you outside with him. I want a few words with you, fella!"

"Shark no!" Yuma yelped, reaching for the phone.

Somewhere in the scramble between the two for the phone, the call disconnected.

"Now what are we going to do?!" Yuma complained "We can't pick Kaito up with Mr Heartland standing right there!"

"I panicked okay!" Shark complained "You started to feign suicide when I said he should come out on his own! What was I supposed to say?!"

Yuma mentally searched his sister's encyclopaedia of ditching knowledge to work out what he should do next. He'd never heard her mention anything about abducting a student from right under the dean of students' nose. This was uncharted territory. The original plan had been to take Rio's car and pick Kaito up in that, but Dr Faker had more money than God, it was rumoured – there was no way Mr Heartland would believe Dr Faker drove a beaten-up green Fiesta. Yuma didn't have a car and they couldn't squeeze all three of them on Shark's motorcycle, even if Dr Faker drove a motorcycle.

Then, a completely insane idea came into his head. It was so genius that he knew that Akari's jaw would drop when he told her about it tonight.

"Hey, it's okay Shark, we can work with this" he declared "Take me back to your house. I've got an idea!"

* * *

One motorcycle ride later, the pair were stood outside the Kamishiro house. Without giving Shark time to think, Yuma lifted the garage door up, revealing the prize inside.

"Whatdaya think?" Yuma proclaimed with a shining grin.

"My dad's 1958 Ferrari 250 GTS California" Shark swallowed nervously, his face ashen "Less than a hundred were ever made. My dad spent three years restoring it. It's his joy, his love, his passion…"

"Too bad he didn't lock the garage door" Yuma pointed out, skipping into the garage.

Shark looked like he was about to be sick. "Yuma, he loves this car more than life itself. We can't take this."

"Well with priorities like that, he doesn't deserve such a beautiful car!" Yuma proclaimed, admiring the shiny red paint job.

"He never ever drives it, Yuma!" Shark was getting desperate "He just polishes it with this big dopey grin on his face!"

"We can't pick Kaito up in Rio's car, okay" Yuma told him "There's no way he'll buy Dr Faker drives that thing. If we don't use this, no one's going to pick Kaito up outside school and Mr Heartland's going to get all suspicious."

"He knows the mileage, Yuma" Shark frantically tried to stop him from getting into the car and pretending to play with the steering wheel "He has it tattooed on his wrist."

Yuma stared at him. "He doesn't trust you?"

"No – he doesn't trust Rio" Shark explained "She keeps telling him how when he finally carks it, she'd taking this thing on a road trip."

"Don't worry Shark, we can put it back without putting any miles on" Yuma suggested "Whatever miles we put on, we'll just take off again."

"How to do plan to do that?" Shark wasn't feeling comforted in the slightest.

A big proud smile spread across Yuma's face. "We'll drive home backwards!"

All hope was lost.

"Forget it" Shark told him as Yuma retrieved the keys from the glove box "I'm putting my foot down, Yuma. You're going to have to think of something else…"

The sound of eight cylinders roaring to life drowned out the sounds of Shark's protested for several seconds.

"…You're not talking me into it. This is Rio-level suicidal and I have to live with the man. I'm sorry but…"

* * *

Kaito wished death upon Yuma Tsukumo. The guy could've at least had the decency to pick him up immediately, not leave him on the front doorstep of the school with Mr Heartland for what felt like hours.

"Once again let me tell you how sorry I am for your loss" Mr Heartland repeated for the millionth time "You know, I had a grandmother once. Two actually."

Kaito tuned him out after that point. Glancing back at the school, he saw Kotori Tsukumo staring at him suspiciously from the algebra classroom window. Probably wondering if he was involved in one of her brothers' schemes. That girl needed to learn to relax and find something to dwell on that wasn't her brother's attendance record.

(Well, she was kinda right, but still)

"Were you close to your grandmother?"

Kaito returned to the somewhat one-sided conversation if only to prevent Mr Heartland from ranting on about inattentive students if Kaito didn't reply.

"Oh. Yeah, I guess" he said "Terrific old lady. Very hip. Very old. Yeah."

He vowed for the millionth time, on his graduation day, the second the diploma was in his hand, he was going to punch this old codger in the face and say his hand slipped. Father and Haruto would cover for him. Or at least be very understanding.

"Oh Kite, dear!" a comically deepened voice called across the school's car park as the nicest looking car Kaito had ever seen drove in through the front gates. He idly wondered which rich guy Yuma had stolen it from before deciding it was probably better if he didn't think about it.

At the wheel was clearly Yuma Tsukumo. He was the wearing a low-brimmed fisherman's hat to disguise his hair, a pair of sunglasses and a long trench coat. He looked like a stereotypical PI.

Mr Heartland was instantly suspicious. Kaito decided it was best to get the hell out of there before the dean of students worked out what was going on.

"Guess that's my dad" he said "Thanks for waiting with me. See you tomorrow I guess."

He hurried over the car, kissed Yuma on the cheek for effect and resisted the urge to wipe his mouth with disgust as he climbed into the passenger seat.

With Kotori staring from Classroom 9 in disbelief and Mr Heartland still trying to work what was going on, the Ferrari pulled out of the car park at a suspiciously fast pace.

"I can't believe you just did that" Kaito commented, the small smile on his face the closest he would ever get to a grin of delight "Right in front of Heartland."

"I can't believe you just kissed me!" Yuma remarked, rubbing the cheek Kaito had kicked with his hand frantically now they were out of Mr Heartland's sight "You probably gave me cooties!"

"Cooties aren't a thing, idiot" Kaito rolled his eyes "I had to at least make it looked like you were my father. Where'd you find this car anyway? You steal it?"

"Nah, Shark's letting us borrow it" Yuma explained "He's got a change of clothes for you in the back. Figured you didn't want to go on an adventure in your school uniform."

Raising an eyebrow of amusement, Kaito peered into the backseat, where Shark was still curled up on the floor in the space between the back seats and the front ones.

"Comfortable there, Ryouga?" he asked mockingly.

"No" Shark responded bluntly, levelling a glare at him.

He chucked a plastic bag into the front seat, Kaito catching it before it could fly out the roof. He peered into the bag and his nose wrinkled with disgust.

"They're the stuff Akari's grown out of that Kotori didn't want" Yuma explained.

"I can tell" Kaito sighed resignedly "It's a nice car at least."

"Enjoy it while it lasts – cos it's going home!" Shark called forward from the back again.

"So, what are we going to do?" Kaito asked, ignoring Shark.

"The question isn't 'what are we going to do', Kaito" Yuma grinned knowingly "It's 'what _aren't_ we going to do'."

"Don't tell me we aren't taking the car home" Shark whimpered "Please."

* * *

Yuma wanted to park right in front of the bank. Kaito protested that he had to get changed and was not giving the entire front street a strip tease until finally Yuma relented and parked in the lorry car park at the back of the bank.

"So, it's simple" Yuma told him "We cash the cheque, we get outta there. Three minutes in and out, tops."

"Don't you need a back account to do that?" Shark pointed out "Like, your mom's specifically?"

Yuma just grinned like he had it all figured it. "That's what Takashi's for."

Before Shark came over, Yuma had called Takashi and called in a favour, remember? Well, after that little stunt with Mrr Heartland's computer (that was just for kicks), Takashi agreed to hack into the bank's computers and add Yuma's name to his mother's account, allowing him to cash her cheque. At ten o'clock, Takashi would hack back in and take Yuma's name off the account, leaving no evidence. Yuma wasn't sure how Akari had figured out that worked, but it was about to come in handy here. The clock tower's massive face read 9:48.

"Won't they figure you're supposed to be in school?" Shark pointed out "They could call Mr Heartland."

"Nah – Mr Roku's not that smart" Yuma rejected the idea "He just needs a nudge in the right direction. And that's why we have Kaito!"

Kaito stared at him strangely. "What."

Yuma leant over the centre console to whisper something into Kaito's ear. Shark watched Kaito's face turned from confusion, to incomprehension to horror to anger in the space of a few seconds.

"Funny, but hell no" Kaito told him in his Terminator voice.

"Come on, Kaito, why do you think I brought you the clothes!" Yuma complained "Look, I got the money, Shark gave us the car—"

"Not willingly!" Shark protested.

"You need to contribute too!" Yuma finished "Adventures are about trying new things – getting out of your comfort zone! Or, if don't want an adventure with us, we could just take you back to school."

Shark wondered what excuse Yuma would have for Kaito's dead grandma suddenly not being dead anymore. He was pretty sure Yuma hadn't thought that far ahead.

Kaito though seemed to relent at Yuma's words. "Fine. Turn around – I don't need you guys staring."

Shark climbed out of the car and sat on the boot, facing the opposite way. He didn't need to see anything of Kaito's. Yuma meanwhile was trying to shed his trench coat, only succeeding in getting wrapped up in it. Shark rolled his eyes and helped the guy out before he strangled himself.

"There. Come on, let's get this over with."

Shark turned around and nearly die of laughter. Yuma had somehow managed to talk Kaito into a pink, sparkly hoodie, a pair of white leggings and pair of Demin shorts. He was also wearing a baseball cap (also pink) pulled down over his hair so it was hard to see his face. Shark could see the guy's scowl of disgust though.

"Ryouga, I will break all ten of your fingers" he growled "One at a time."

"You look great, Kaito!" Yuma cheered "We can totally pull this off now!"

Shark, for the first time that morning, felt intrigued about Yuma's dastardly plan, if only to see Kaito Tenjo completely humiliated in public.

The three of them walked to the other side of the building and enter the front doors. Thankfully the bank wasn't too busy, and Yuma was able to lead them right up to Mr Roku's window without having to wait in line (Kaito probably would've snapped and killed someone if they'd had to wait in line).

Mr Roku was old enough that Shark was almost certain the guy had been working there since the bank first opened. He could probably remember the McKinley Administration. But the old man's face lit up when he saw Yuma.

"Yuma Tsukumo?" At least the guy's memory appeared to be working soundly.

Yuma smiled connivingly at the old man. "Hello Mr Roku. How are you today?"

Shark's eyes drifted to the door. Weren't they supposed to just cash the cheque and leave? Since when was small talk on the agenda? His only comfort was that Kaito was looking increasingly uncomfortable as well, his shoulders drooping so much he was almost hunchbacked.

"I passed a kidney stone Tuesday, so I'm a little pooped" Mr Roku admitted, Shark cringing at the images that flooded his head "But other than that, I'm as chipper as can be." Mr Roku paused and smiled, like something important had just occurred to him. "Say, aren't you supposed to be in school?"

Shark shuffled a little towards the door. That was it, they were about to be caught. At least, he and Kaito would. They'd be thrown in jail for cheque fraud or bank robbery or something. They were both under eighteen – maybe they'd have to share a cell. Shark couldn't think of anything worse than sharing a cell with Kaito Tenjo. Maybe Yuma would come up with a scheme to have them ditch juvie for a day.

Yuma just calmly laid his cheque on the counter though, laughing politely. "Me? I'm out of school, Mr Roku. In fact, I'm married. This is my wife…Madonna."

Shark had to place both hand over his mouth to disguise the fact he was laughing like a madman when Yuma nodded his head in Kaito's direction. Kaito didn't budge an inch, like his mind had vacated his body and flown to some far off Netherland where the world was as it should be.

"And this is my brother-in-law" Yuma added, looking at Shark "ZZ Top. He has this horrific scar over his mouth – dog attack when he was little, you know – he's covering it so you don't freak out."

"No need to be ashamed, young man" Mr Roku told him "We all have things we don't like about each other. Why, I have this mole on my—"

"So yeah, we're moving in together" Yuma cut the old man off before Shark and Kaito could be traumatised any further "We're gonna get this nice two-bedroom house by the park. Right ZZ?"

Before Shark could respond, though we wasn't sure how he was going to do so with a hand over his mouth, Mr Roku addressed him again.

"Is Top a Slavic name?" he asked.

Shark could scarcely believe the old man as buying this, but somewhere in his disbelief he managed to nod convincingly.

"I'd like to cash this in, please" Yuma tapped the cheque on the counter as he spoke "We're having a baby, you see, and we need cash for a crib, clothes, nappies, food pellets, leash, water dish…"

Shark had to press both hands over his mouth hard to prevent himself from laughing at that one. Mr Roku obviously didn't notice though, as he took the cheque with a hearty smile, the second part of Yuma's spiel flying over his head.

"A baby!" he remarked, looking at Kaito for the first time "You must be so excited!"

Kaito side-eyed Yuma. Yuma just smiled back reassuringly. Shark didn't follow what their mental conversation said exactly, but it ended with Kaito saying out loud:

"I'm thrilled, sir. I'm especially looking forward to wearing those jeans with the stretch panel in the front."

Shark was torn between absolute hysterics and absolute horror, as Kaito hadn't even _tried_ to disguise his voice. There was no way Mr Roku was going to buy that he was a pregnant teenage girl. (Okay, that was pretty hysterical). At least if he went to juvie, he'd go with a smile on his face and the ultimate blackmail material against his fierce rival in…something.

The old man must've be blind, deaf of a combination of the two though, as he just nodded along excitedly as he typed into his stone age computer. "Are you hoping for a little boy or girl?"

"We're hoping for a car actually" Kaito told him, obviously realising the old man was senile.

When Mr Roku didn't find _that_ suspicious, Shark walked away from the 'happy couple'. He was getting a stitch and he needed to walk it off. Halfway between the doors and the tellers, he looked at the bank's clock to see if they were running on time. 9:51. Good.

However, Shark found himself drawn to some people sat at a loan officer's desk underneath the clock. They seemed familiar for some reason.

He blinked. Then he focused. Then he blinked again.

That was definitely Mrs Tsukumo, sat with her back to the tellers, along with a young couple a young son, discussing the local financing situation with the loan officer.

Shark's face looked like he'd just witnessed an axe-murder.

"Yuma!" he hissed, shaking Yuma's shoulder and pointing at the problem "Look!"

Yuma squinted, then his face lit up with joy as he waved to his mother. "Hi Mom!"

Shark quickly forced Yuma's arm down and stood between him and Mrs Tsukumo's line of sight, hoping she wouldn't give a couple of teenagers a second glance if she didn't see her son. Thankfully, Mrs Tsukumo didn't even look away from her meeting.

* * *

Meeting concluded, Mirai stood up and shook hands with the loan officer. She led the couple and their young child, who appeared to be playing with a slingshot, towards the doors of the bank. She saw Mr Roku leaving his booth, looking like he was heading to the water fountain.

"Hello, Mr Roku" she called to him "How are you today?"

"I passed a kidney stone Tuesday" Mr Roku told her, suddenly realising who she was as a huge grin spread out across his face "Say, you must be very proud, Mirai."

Mirai stared at him strangely, unaware what he was talking about. "Excuse me?"

"I met Madonna" Mr Roku told her, patting her on the arm "She told me everything. Keep me posted, I'll want to send a gift when it's due."

Mr Roku walked away across the foyer, leaving Mirai dumbfounded. She recovered quickly, leading the couple and their child out of the bank and down the street, the child putting a stone into his slingshot and firing it at a car across the street. They passed a shop window that three people appeared to be crowded around, but paid them no attention.

When his mother had passed, Yuma looked up from the window and checked that the coast was clear. "She's gone, guys."

Shark sighed with relief, pressing his head against the cool glass window. Kaito just marched off the direction of the car. By the time Yuma and Shark caught up with him, he was already in the passenger seat, having shed the hoodie, shorts and hat and was wearing Yuma's trench coat instead. Shark was about to comment of the fact that the coat, along with those leggings, made him look like a creeper, but refrained from doing so at the look of thunder on Kaito's face.

"Alright, I'm done – no more cross-dressing" Kaito told Yuma as the pair got in the car "You can just take me back to school if you think I'm doing that again."

"You did great, Kaito!" Yuma cheered, hugging him before Kaito physically shoved him back onto his side of the car.

"He's right, adventure over" Shark added "Come on Yuma, you've had your fun. Let's get this car home now."

"Fun?" Yuma echoed, pulling out of the lorry car park "We haven't had nearly enough fun yet! The day's still young, Shark! Places to go, things to do!"

Yuma turned onto the main street and utterly destroyed the gas pedal. Kaito and Shark were flung back in their seats as the car accelerated to ungodly speeds.

"YUMA! SLOW DOWN!" Shark frantically called from the back seat.

"We're going to Chicago, Shark!" Yuma called back to him, laughing all the way "We can't slow down now!"


	3. Adventuring

**On an adventure to Chicago, it takes out heroes three chapters to actually get there. Also, my computer insists on changing Kaito to 'Kite'. I think I got all of them, but bare with me if I missed one or two. I'm just glad it doesn't change Ryouga to 'Reginald' - that is unforgivable.**

* * *

Back at Heartland Academy, Droite was dialling the Tenjos' home number into Mr Heartland's office phone. Mr Heartland had wanted to track down Haruto Tenjo and shake the truth about this supposed death in the family out of the boy, but Droite had pointed out that, on the off chance the death was real, tormenting his younger son wasn't going to put Dr Faker in a better mood. Besides, Dr Faker or another relative may have picked Haruto up already. Instead, they should call the family home and try and validate the story through other relatives. Mr Heartland had to admit, it was a better idea.

"This is Dr Faker's home number" Droite held the phone out to him, but just as he was about to grab it, she held it away from him again "Watch your mouth this time."

Mr Heartland sneered at her as he snatched the phone from her, waiting to give whatever relative came to the phone a piece of his mind.

"Yuma Tsukumo's behind this, I just know it" he told her "There's no doubt in my mind. This is what I was saying this morning – why he's got to be stopped. He's got Kaito Tenjo involved in this thing, see."

Droite just nodded wearily, heading back to her desk.

"And his grandmother too" he added just as the phone connected.

It connected to an answering machine, and the grief-stricken voice on the end sounded suspiciously like Yuma Tsukumo's.

"We can't come to the phone right now. We've had a death in the family. If you need to reach us, we'll be at the following number…"

Mr Heartland wrote down the number given, disconnected the call and dialled the written number. He got an answering machine this time as well, this voice sounding more like Kaito Tenjo.

"You have reached the Goodwin Brothers Mortuary. We are unable to come to the phone right now, but if you'll leave your address and number—"

Mr Heartland hung up the phone, having achieved nothing.

"Something going on, goddammit!" he proclaimed "I just know it!"

Droite wasn't even paying attention to him, reading a newspaper at her desk.

"Railroad's on strike again" she commented.

"And I'm going to stop it!" Mr Heartland declared, raising his fist to the air as a sign of his determination.

"Gauche would appreciate it" Droite commented.

Mr Heartland stared at her weirdly. "What?"

"Gauche rides the train to work" she told him.

Mr Heartland just stared at Droite for what felt like the millionth time that morning. He just didn't understand the youth of this generation anymore.

* * *

The drive to Chicago was as bad as Shark envisioned it would be. The highway was a living nightmare. Yuma would _not_ keep his hands on the wheel no matter how high pitched Shark's voice got and Kaito didn't seem to give a damn. Shark was certain they were both mentally damaged and needed to spend a good many years in a lunatic asylum.

Finally, they pulled into a parking garage not too far from Downtown and Shark felt he could relax again.

"Alright, adventure time!" Yuma cheered, getting out of the car. Kaito did also.

"Wait, we can't leave it here!" Shark insisted, jumping of the car to block Yuma's path to the exit.

"Why not?" Yuma didn't understand. Surely Shark knew they couldn't take the car on a trip round Chicago.

"Because we can't!" Shark spluttered "It needs to be back home, where it belongs!"

"What do you think's going to happen to it?" Kaito asked, thought it was more rhetorical than anything.

"I could get stolen, wrecked, scratched, _breathed on_!" Shark listed "Hell, a pigeon could shit on it!"

"Shark, don't worry, I'll give the guy a fiver to watch it" Yuma told him.

"WHAT GUY?!"

As if cued, a parking attendant, a ginger boy who looked around their age, approached them. His nametag read 'Rei'.

"You speak English?" Yuma checked.

"Since I was three" was the keen retort.

"Great!" Yuma passed him the five "I want you to take extra special care of this car, okay?"

Rei looked at the car and his entire face appeared to light up so much it could power a third world country.

"No need to worry, sir" he said, getting into the driver's seat "I'll treat it like a beautiful woman."

Shark started to really sweat. The Ferrari pulled into the car park very slowly, very carefully with no squealing tires or revving engine. To Yuma's delight Shark started to visibly relax.

"See, like he said, no need to worry, Shark" Yuma patted him on the shoulder "See what a couple of Franklins can do to a person's attitude. He's going to treat it like a beautiful woman."

"Yeah" Shark's tone was morose "Whip it with a stick and piss on the hood."

"Thanks for that image, Ryouga" Kaito wrinkled his nose with disgust.

"Come on! Daylight's a-wasting!" Yuma steered the pair out the garage "We have, like, a million places to go and it's nearly lunch!"

With the trio disappearing onto the street, all was initially quiet in the garage. Then the Ferrari came creeping down the exit ramp. Checking to see if the coast was clear, a smirk spread across Rei's face as he mashed the gas, tearing down the street in the opposite direction to Yuma, Shark and Kaito. Oh sure, Rei would take care of the car; just after he'd checked everything on it was in working order.

* * *

Back at the Tsukumo house, Mirai left the family from Vermont in the car as she quickly headed upstairs to check on her son. Peering into his bedroom, she could see a still figure lying in the bed, and the sound of loud snoring filled the room.

"Bless his little heart" she smiled, discounting the whole thing about him having been absent from school nine times since Christmas as baseless rumour. She closed the door behind her and headed back downstairs to the car.

What she couldn't have known was that the 'figure' in the bed was just a couple of pillows covered with the duvet, and the snoring was recorded on a tape recorder under the bed.

* * *

"Did you know this is the tallest tower in the US?"

The trio were on the observation deck of the Willis Tower (Kaito kept muttering about what a stupid name it was), staring out over the city. Yuma had picked up a pamphlet at the door and was reading from it with wide eyes.

"Apparently we're 103 storeys off the ground!" he remarked "And you can see four states from up here!"

"You think the car's okay?" Shark commented, looking a bit green in the face.

Yuma kept reading. "Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and…Ill-nose?"

"Illinois" Kaito correct him "It's French."

"French people live in Illinois?" Yuma looked surprised "Wow, I'm glad we live in Indiana. Where do you think Indiana is up here?"

"It all looks the same to me" Kaito frowned "Where does Wisconsin start? I don't see any cows."

Yuma frowned thoughtfully and looked around the deck, but he couldn't see any cows either.

"I don't feel so good, Yuma" Shark told him "We're gonna go now, right?"

Yuma though had noticed something.

"Hey guys, come over here!" He waved them over to the very edge of the deck. Kaito looked intrigued, Shark sickly.

"Stand up on the railing like this, Shark" he instructed them, stepping up on the bottom rung of the railing "You too Kaito. Now lean your head forward, like this." He leaning his headed against the glass. Kaito and Shark copied him.

Kaito swore and backed away for a second before returning to leaning his head on the glass. Shark seemed paralysed with terror at the dizzying view down to street level.

"It's very peaceful" Kaito commented.

"Anything is peaceful from 1400 feet" Yuma agreed.

Shark made a strangle noise in the back of his throat. For a second, he thought he saw a red Ferrari weaving around the base of the tower, but he must've been mistaken. It was probably the altitude.

"What if the glass gives?" Kaito pondered.

"Death" Yuma proclaimed with a smile on his face.

"Cool" Kaito commented.

"I think I see my dad" Shark groaned "He knows I have his car."

Down on the street, Mr Kamishiro was staring in bewilderment at the sight of a red Ferrari swerving in between two building and out of his sight.

"That couldn't have been my car" he reassured himself before resuming his search for a taxi.

* * *

Kotori didn't think her day could get any weirder after the whole Fuya Okudaira ambush that morning. But sure enough, it somehow managed to.

She was walking between her algebra and music lessons when she came across and kid with a coke can. Taichi, she believed his name was, was frantically moving between the students in the hall, repeating the same worried phrase over and over.

"Save Yuma Tsukumo. Save Yuma Tsukumo. Save Yuma Tsukumo."

He stopped in front of the bewildered Kotori. "Save Yuma Tsukumo?"

"What?" she stared at the football player like he had two heads.

"We're collecting donations to buy Yuma Tsukumo a new kidney" he told her "Apparently they run at about fifty k's so every little bit helps."

Kotori just stared at him, unable to comprehend the proportions her brother's scam had reached. The coke can was already half-full with 'donations' for god's sakes! Was that a twenty in there? Seriously?

"You think you could chip in?" Taichi asked "I mean, it doesn't have to be a lot—"

"Piss off!" she told him, her eyes flashing with anger.

Taichi stared at her in alarm. "Wait, what—?"

She knocked the coke can out of his fist, sending coins rolling down the hallways. A flood of students ran after them like hungry wolves tracking prey.

"Hey! That wasn't very nice!" Taichi complained as he stooped to pick up the coins around him, Kotori storming off down the hall like she was on her way to commit a murder "What if someday you need something from Yuma Tsukumo? Then where will you be, huh?"

* * *

Continuing on their wander around the city, our intrepid trio (or intrepid duo with one Ryouga 'Shark' Kamishiro in tow) had wandered into the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. None of them really knew what was going on, just that a lot of men in business suits appeared to be yelling both into phones and at each other, so they sat in the gallery watching the commotion.

"You doing good there, Shark?" Yuma checked on his friend, who was slowly starting to regain colour after their Willis Tower exploration.

Shark just nodded wordlessly, his eyes still wide and fists clenched. He looked ready to pass out.

Yuma then looked to the person sat on his left-hand side. Kaito was watching the chaos below with an impassionate glance. He didn't appear to be enjoying himself at all, but it was always so hard to tell with Kaito. He could be having the time of his life for all Yuma knew.

"Hey Kaito" he shook the younger boy's shoulder to get his attention "We're friends, right?"

"I don't have friends" Kaito told him immediately.

Yuma winced. The only real friend Kaito seemed to have was Chris Arclight, who'd graduated last year. It must have been pretty lonely, losing your only real friend. Now he had Yuma and Shark, but they were graduating at the end of this year, and Kaito would be on his own again. Haruto would always be there for him, but a relationship between two brothers was different to a real friendship.

Well, it was all the more important to show Kaito as much friendship as possible now, so he would have happy memories to get him through the next year.

"I think we're friends" Yuma told him "Would I trash a day of school to hang out with you if you weren't my friend?"

"You hate school" Kaito pointed out "You ditch every other day with whoever will listen to you."

"Would I risk damaging a deep and wonderful relationship with my parents if you weren't my friend?" Yuma kept going.

"You could be done for terrorism and they'd still think you were the living reincarnation of Christ" Kaito pointed out.

"Would I have introduced you as my wife if you weren't my friend?" Yuma remined him with a grin.

A tiny little smile wormed its way onto Kaito's face. "That was a lie."

"Exactly!" Yuma grinned "I trusted you to lie for me! That's the _ultimate_ sign that we're friends!"

Kaito didn't say anything, but he seemed more at ease now.

"Hey, Kaito?" Yuma asked "Do you want kids?"

Kaito shot him a strange look. "'Scue me?"

"I mean, back in the bank, you said you were hoping for a car, not a kid" Yuma recalled "Do you just not like kids?"

"I don't mind them" Kaito told him "Would never have the nerve to have one."

"You scared of puke and nappies, Tenjo?" Shark joked, recovering quickly at the opportunity to mock.

"I'm afraid of screwing them up" he told them.

Shark and Yuma just stared at him, surprised at the sudden admission.

"It's in my genes, see, people putting themselves before their kids" Kaito explained "My grandad signed up for the war and left my grandma with two young children. He met a French girl out there and dropped like grandma like a stone. Then when all's going right for my family, my mother goes and meets some young lawyer and disappears without a word. Left my father heartbroken and my brother without a mother. Now my father throws himself into work so he doesn't have to think about it, and barely remembers Haruto and I exist these days. That's why I'm not having kids – if I don't have any, I can't screw them up."

"Rather pessimistic way to look at it" Shark commented, Kaito shrugging as way of reply.

"You may not turn out like them" Yuma pointed out "Shark's nothing like his parents."

"That's not hard" Kaito grunted "His father's a toad and his mother's all wired out."

Yuma winced. It was an accurate statement, just not a very polite one.

"I don't wanna turn out like them" Shark agreed "A dad who loves his car more than his kids and a mom who hasn't the time to love anybody. Seeing how they treat each other makes me sick."

Yuma could understand what he meant. There was nothing more awkward than staying over a friend's house and having to listen to the sound of said friend's parents screaming at each other in the room next door all night.

"Your parents are divorced?" Kaito asked, seemingly curious "I didn't know that."

"They may as well be" Shark responded.

"My parents are divorced; so what?" Kaito stated "It's not like it doesn't happen a thousand times a day."

"Just because it happens all the time doesn't magically make it okay" Shark grumbled "Are you comfortable with it?"

Kaito shifted in his seat. "No. I'll never be comfortable with parents splitting up when they have children if someone's life isn't on the line. You think your parents are staying together for your sake?"

"Maybe – more likely for appearances' sake" Shark shrugged "I don't imagine Rio and I's feelings were even considered."

"You think they still love you?" Kaito asked.

Shark looked like he was about to make a sharp retort, but hesitated. His face then paled and he looked like he'd just witnessed a murder, as if the thought that parental love wasn't just a given had never occurred to him.

Yuma was also feeling a bit uncomfortable, for the first time appreciating that his parents were together and loved each other. He'd known Shark for years, but had never really considered living a life like Shark and his sister, or even Kaito, did.

"I'd rather not have my family break apart, thank you" he finally responded, his tone sharp and snappy.

"Well, what do you know?" Kaito told him "It isn't up to you, it's in their hands."

Shark stared at him in disbelief. "So, you're telling me to sit back and just watch my family crumble apart?"

"You're a merely inhabitant in their universe" Kaito told him.

"Scary choice of words" Yuma remarked.

"They call the shots" Kaito continued "When you split from them, then _you_ call the shots."

Shark raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I should run away?"

"Nah, he's saying it's time for lunch" Yuma told him.

Shark couldn't tell if Yuma was bluffing to get the uncomfortable conversation to end, or if he had somehow picked the words out of Kaito's monologue.

"Come on! Let's go eat!" Yuma declared, jumping to his feet and out of the gallery. Kaito also got up, so Shark took that as a sign they really were leaving.

Just before they left though, Yuma hung back and looked back into the chaos. He cupped his hands and yelled at the top of his lungs:

"BUY!"

As Yuma left coolly and calmly, as the entire building exploded with activity in response to his shout.

* * *

Meanwhile a radio announcer was heard over the airwaves of Chicago:

"Commodity prices rose sharply today in unusually heavy trading…"


	4. Eating

**Otherwise known as 'The Shark Gets Revenge' or 'The Chapter Where Kotori Become Relevant To The Plot'.**

 **On another note, it appears reviews only come when Kaito cross-dresses. *Looks evilly at Kaito***

* * *

Of all the places Yuma could have chosen to go to for lunch, he got it into his head he wanted to go to a French restaurant.

"I wanna eat French food!" Yuma insisted "I've never had French food before!"

"You have French fries all the time!" Shark protested "They're French food."

"I don't think that counts" Kaito came dangerously close to being thrown across three city blocks into Lake Michigan.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeease Shark!" Yuma begged pathetically "We have to have French food! We're in Illinois! We have to eat the local cuisine!"

"Since when did French people live in Chicago?" Shark stared at him weirdly "How are you so smart and yet so stupid at the same time?"

"Shaaaaaaaaaaark!" Yuma kept begging.

"I'm not eating frogs' legs and snails for lunch!" Shark insisted.

Yuma turned his puppy-dog eyes on Kaito. "Please Kaito! Please can we go to a French restaurant?"

For a moment, Shark thought Kaito was going to stand his ground and say no. But then the tallest of the group relented with a shrug and a: "Whatever."

Shark really wished that he'd insisted on bringing someone who could actually stand up to Yuma Tsukumo on this crazy excursion.

After a fair amount of asking for directions, the trio got pointed towards an upscale French restaurant on the Gold Coast. As Shark and Kaito surveyed their new surroundings with a look of distain, Yuma thumbed down the reservations book belonging to the maitre'd. His finger landed on a party for three at 12:00. Housaku Yasai sounded good.

The maitre'd returned. He was an unusual looking young man, with long blond hair and red markings on his face that seemed to punctate his eternally scowling expression. His name tag said his equally unusual name was 'Mizael'.

"May I help you?" Mizael asked, clearly sceptical at the three kids in the foyer of his restaurant.

"Yes, I'm Housaku Yasai" Yuma told him with his most convincing grin "Party of three for 12:00."

Mizael looked down at Yuma with even more skepticism.

Yuma tried not to look nervous. "Is there a problem?"

" _You're_ Housaku Yasai?" Mizael didn't appear to be buying it.

"I'm Housaku Yasai" Yuma nodded confidently.

"The Vegetable King of Chicago?"

Panicking a little inside, Yuma recalled Akari's greatest piece of advice to him: ' _If you're going to tell a lie, stick with it to the bitter end – only guilty people change their story_.'

"Absolutely" Yuma responded with gusto.

Mizael chuckled knowingly. "I'm sorry, son. I'm very busy right now. If you have trouble finding the door…"

Shark tugged on Yuma's sleeve, trying to force him to leave, but Yuma ignored him.

"Are you suggesting that I'm not who I say I am?" Yuma asked indignantly.

"Shall I call the police?" Mizael responded with.

"Let's go… Housaku" Shark tried to persuade Yuma again, this time with words.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Yuma was determined to eat here and he thought he'd spotted a solution "Call the police then! Go ahead! Better yet…" He yanked a corded phone off the wall. "I'll call them myself!"

"Yuma" even Kaito was sounding skeptical for this plan whilst Shark was making what sounded like dying whale noises.

Yuma punched in the number written on the top of the reservation's books pages, guessing it was the restaurant's phone number. To his relief, the restaurant's second line lit up and the phone in Yuma's hand as well as another one deeper into the restaurant rang.

Mizael motioned for Yuma to give him the phone so he could answer the call, but Yuma waved his arm away.

"Touch me and I yell 'rat'" Yuma vowed.

Mizael scowled at him, but acknowledged there was nothing he could do. He turned and headed towards the second phone.

"Quick!" Yuma grabbed Kaito by the arm and pushed him down so he was hidden from the restaurant by the podium the reservations book was standing on. He passed Kaito the phone he was holding. "Ask for Housaku Yasai and describe what I look like!"

"Why me?" Kaito complained, but he couldn't go any further than that, because Mizael then picked up the other phone.

* * *

Approximately three minutes later, the trio found themselves seated at a table for three in the center of the restaurant. Mizael was all but hovering over Yuma's shoulder, clearly knowing the guy wasn't who he said he was, but acknowledging he was unable to prove it either.

"I appreciate your understanding" Mizael told him through gritted teeth.

"Don't grovel, Mizael" Yuma told him with a smug look on his face "Just leave us to eat and all will be forgotten."

"Enjoy you luncheon" Mizael told them, a vein pulsing in his forehead with anger.

"Thank you!" Yuma grinned up at him with a smile that could power a third-world country.

Mizael backed away, irritation embedded in his every step. Kaito looked impressed. Shark was flushed red with nerves.

"Kaito, that was brilliant!" Yuma declared.

"You came up with it" Kaito admitted.

"Hey Shark" Yuma grinned at his long-time friend "And you thought we'd had enough fun, huh?"

Shark rolled his eyes and glared into the menu.

* * *

On the other side of the state boarder, a rather interesting discussion was taking place in a girls' locker room.

"Yuma Tsukumo's days are numbered" Kotori vowed, sitting on a bench in her hockey uniform "I'm gonna bust his buns."

"Why?" Sanagi asked, almost rhetorical "What's the point?"

"Why?!" Kotori squawked "Because I'm sick of the little dope. He manipulates my parents, he does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and he never gets nailed!" A cruel grin spread across Kotori's friends. "Well, my friend, today I'm going to be the hammer."

She angrily yanked on the Velcro strap on her shoes. The straps ripped off in her hand.

"I think he's cute" Sanagi commented, rummaging through her locker.

"Sweetie, you're dating Gilag – we've already proven our tastes are beyond different" Kotori informed her "Yuma is not cute. He's not charming. He's not nice. He's not a wonderful person. He's an ignorant mule and the sooner everybody in this school realises that, the better off we'll all be."

Sanagi just nodded along, barely even listening.

"Let me tell you something" Kotori continued, scarcely pausing for breath "I study hard, I work hard, I'm polite, I'm considerate, I'm friendly and fair to all sorts of people. Except morons – the world could do with a few less morons. I try to be everything a good, decent person should be and you know what?"

"Everyone thinks you're an asshole" Sanagi finished the spiel herself.

Kotori just stared at her in horror, unable to comprehend what she'd just heard.

"Well, I don't think you're an asshole" Sanagi added "At least, not a big one. You're just…obsessive."

"Who does?" Kotori asked, her voice strangely quiet.

Sanagi smiled at her sheepishly.

"Anna?" Kotori guessed.

Sanagi shrugged, waved, wagged her head – everything to visually confirm without saying anything.

Kotori scoffed. "Anna's a dirtbag. Who else?"

"I don't know" Sanagi told her "Just forget it."

"Forget that everyone thinks I'm an asshole?" Kotori stood up, visibly upset "Sanagi, would you like everyone to think you're an asshole?"

"Not everyone" Sanagi pointed out "Mr Heartland likes you."

That didn't exactly have the desired effect.

"Oh great, Mr Heartland likes me" Kotori groaned "A fifty-year-old with a creepy obsession with children and green hair. At least, Willy Wonka likes me." She shook her head in disbelief. "Would everyone be happier if maybe I were to die in a flaming car accident or something?"

"Maybe if you didn't _act_ like an asshole…" Sanagi offered a suggestion of help.

" _Am_ I acting like an asshole?" Kotori asked.

"I didn't mean it that way" Sanagi tried to correct her statement.

"Is this some conspiracy to make me feel like dirt or something?" Kotori was getting increasingly suspicious at Sanagi's vague answers "Is my brother behind this? Tell me if he is, now!"

Sanagi rolled her eyes with a sigh. "You have a real problem, Kotori."

"Well, is he?!"

"Take a walk, okay. Cool down. Chill out."

"I swear you're turning into Gilag more and more every day."

* * *

"What is this stuff?"

"I don't know, but it looks like it's already been eaten and digested."

"I knew it was a mistake letting Ryouga order. 'I can read French' my ass."

"Oh, did the food come?"

Shark appeared back at the table, having just returned from the bathroom. Sitting down at the table, it was clear lunch had been ordered, but Kaito hadn't so much as picked up his fork and Yuma was just pushing his food around the plate.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"What is this crap?" Kaito asked him, his tone warning Shark not to screw with them.

Shark considered his next words carefully. "I think it's a land-based beefoid creature."

Kaito muttered something under his breath. Yuma heard the word 'beef' and wondered if this restaurant was where all the cows that were supposed to be in Wisconsin had gone.

In order to reassure them he wasn't scheming some evil plan in retribution for dragging him here, Shark took a bite of his own food. "Hmm…delicious."

Shark using the word 'delicious' probably should've been a sign that something was up, but apparently Yuma didn't clue onto that.

"Really?" he asked, staring at his plate with confusion, like he couldn't believe what was there was tasty.

"Superb" Shark confirmed.

Again, another none-Shark word that should've warned them of what was about to come, but it was too late for Kaito and Yuma were already taking tentative bites of their lunch.

"Good?" Shark inquired.

Kaito just shrugged.

"This isn't so bad" Yuma admitted, a smile starting to return to her face "What is it called?"

Grinning in a predatory way, Shark waved at Mizael across the room. "Hey, Clouseau!"

Mizael stopped halfway through his rounds and looked at Shark indignantly.

"I have a growth on my brain that causes memory lapses" Shark explained "Can you tell me what we're eating again?"

Reluctantly, Mizael made his way over to the table and glanced down at their food. "Sweetbreads."

"Anything else?" Shark asked, having to hold back the laughter he was already feeling rising within him.

"Pancreas" Mizael declared.

Kaito stopped chewing instantly.

"As in the gland that had important functions in digestion and metabolism?" Shark asked.

Kaito glared at Shark the best one could glare whilst side-eyeing. Yuma didn't know what any of what Shark had said meant, but it also didn't sound very nice.

"You know, that gland that secretes a thick, colourless fluid containing digestive enzymes?" Shark continued with his questioning, a huge grin on his face "The home of the world famous isles of Langerhans?"

Mizael nodded broadly, perfectly aware he was spoiling the kids' meals.

Kaito was looking seriously ill now. Yuma had also stopped chewing, looking worried like he thought he'd been poisoned.

"Okay, thank you!" Shark smiled at the maitre'd "You can go now."

As soon as Mizael had turned his back to serve other customers, Yuma and Kaito both spat out their mouthfuls at the same time, not caring what the other people in the restaurant thought.

Shark just kept up the grin of retribution. "Cheque please!"

* * *

Standing out the dean of students' office, Kotori was having a small moral debate with herself.

"It's reprehensible to squeal on your own flesh and blood" she admitted "But it's for his own good. His cavalier attitude will get him into trouble later in life…and it'll wind me up so much I'll die an early death of heart-disease. Screw him."

She pushed open the door to Mr Heartland's office.

"Hello Kotori" Droite greeted her, not looking up from her paperwork "Who's bothering you now?"

Kotori tried to ignore Mr Heartland's assistant and looked around the room, but the man himself was notable absent.

"Where's Mr Heartland?" she asked.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Droite asked.

"No – it needs to go directly to him" Kotori told her determinedly "When's he getting back?"

"I don't know" Droite admitted "He left the school grounds on personal business."

Kotori made a noise of frustration, stamped her foot and stormed out of the office.

"Say, shouldn't you be in class?" Droite called after her.

"No!"

* * *

"40,000 restaurants in the Downtown area and you somehow manage to pick the one your father goes to."

Kaito, Yuma and Shark were standing at the railing of the French restaurant, attempting to leave it, but had come across an unexpected development. It looked like Yuma's father had arrived in a taxi, picking up some business associates from lunch. Lunch at the very same restaurant the three of them were trying to escape from.

"We're gonna get nabbed" Shark stated morosely.

"You're the one that made us leave in such a hurry" Kaito pointed out "Well, Yuma, got any bright ideas this time?"

Yuma was sweating buckets of nerves, but he wasn't about to tell the others that. "Er…we need to get into that taxi."

Kaito seemed to approve of that…plan, I guess. "That works, follow me."

He hurried down the steps, Yuma and Shark tried on his coattails. With Mr Tsukumo and his group still jawing at the curb, no one saw Kaito open the cab door, scoot Yuma and Shark in and then jump in himself.

"Pull away, quickly!" Kaito hissed to the taxi driver.

The taxi's wheels spun wildly as it took off in a hurry. It was a good thing too – Mr Tsukumo had just reached behind him to grab the handle of the door and was surprised to feel nothing but air. He and his group stared in surprise as the taxi took off down the street.

"Where are we going?" Shark asked.

Yuma looked around the cab, and his eye fell on an ad for a local tourist attraction.

"The museum please!"

* * *

If anyone was under the illusion that Mr Heartland was feeling happy today, he thoroughly banished that notion with the slam of his car door, which was loud enough to hear several streets away.

He was gonna get Yuma Tsukumo, and he was almost certain he knew where he was. Where did all kids go to ditch school?

Mr Heartland stepped into the BARian, a bar that sold food and occasionally beverages to ditching students along with the usual crowd of truckers and builders. Mr Heartland was pretty due the guy who ran the place, some guy called Don, hadn't checked the legal age for serving alcohol since the forties, or he just didn't care. He also didn't seem to care about teenagers being in his bar during the school day.

Mr Heartland's eyes landed on his prize – someone with spiky hair wearing a red jacket, who was playing PacMan in the corner of the bar. An evil grin spread out over his features as he pushed through the usual crowd over the arcade game.

"I've been waiting a long time for this" he declared, grabbing the shoulder of the red-jacket wearer "Your ass is mine!"

The player turned around and looked at Mr Heartland with wide amber eyes.

Mr Heartland frowned. Amber? He looked down the person's figure.

It was a girl.

Instantly all the blood vaporised from Mr Heartland's cheeks, his mouth open with shock.

The girl, he was pretty sure he recognised her as a junior called Anna Kozuki, to her credit, didn't panic much. She just picked up her coke and slurped some into her mouth using a straw. She then aimed the straw and blew. A mouthful of warm coke and saliva projected itself into Mr Heartland's face.

Mr Heartland felt for a napkin, but by the time he'd wiped his face clean, Anna was long gone.

Scowling, Mr Heartland moved over the bar, surveying the crowd for any sign of Yuma Tsukumo, the sound of the small TV behind the bar blaring a Cubs baseball match loudly in his ears.

Had he turned around, Mr Heartland would've seen one of the Cubs' players hit a long foul ball. The TV camera followed the ball as it whizzed off into the stands. By the time the camera caught up with it, it was in the hands of a triumphant Yuma Tsukumo, waving the ball in the air as the crowd cheered wildly. Yuma did a little celebratory dance before reclaiming his seat, stealing some nanchos from Shark in the seat next to him and showing his friends his new prize.

By the time Mr Heartland turned around to address the bar tender, the TV had returned to the game.

"What's the score?" he asked.

The bartender, some dark-skinned kid with dangly earrings and some of the weirdest tattoos Mr Heartland had ever seen, didn't even look up from the beers he was drafting. "Zero-to-zero."

"Who's winning?" Mr Heartland asked.

The bartender stared at him like he was stupid or something. "Cubs."

Mr Heartland nodded satisfactorily before striding out of the bar.

* * *

"Look at this! Isn't this awesome?!" Yuma cheered, shoving the ball he'd just caught into the faces of Kaito and Shark.

Shark batted Yuma's arm out of his face. "We came here to watch the match, so let me watch it!"

Yuma switched the ball to his other hand and looked down at his catching it. It was bright red and stinging.

"I think I broke my thumb" he admitted.

"Can we leave now?" Kaito asked. He wasn't a big sport fan. It wasn't that he couldn't do sports, because he could – he just didn't like watching them.

"Leave?" Yuma didn't seem happy "We just got here."

"You've got a ball, you've broke your thumb" Kaito complained "What's left to do?"

Shark offered his nachos to Kaito, leaning across Yuma to do so. "If I give you nachos, will you shut up?"

Kaito looked into the bag and sneered at Shark in disgust. "No wonder you're always ill."

As the batter succeeded in hitting the ball and the crowd surged with joy, Yuma leant back in his seat, putting his hands behind his head and turning his face to the bright sun.

"Hey, Shark" he realised "You know if we'd played by the rules, we'd be in gym class right now?"

* * *

The football field was taken up with senior students getting their weekly torture—er, exercise. Naturally the teachers were finding the groans of pain and agony delightful, so they didn't notice Kotori Tsukumo sneaking off the school property in the direction of her house.

"I can't believe my brother's making me put myself in a position where I could get expelled; selfish little moron" she mumbled as she walked with purpose and vengeance "Yuma, you've overshadowed me long enough. I'm gonna get you, buddy."


	5. Living

**There are so many freakin' page breaks in this chapter. I swear. It's only because, by this point in the movie, the plot's flicking between a bunch of different characters, but I apologise for all the page breaks anyhow.**

 **On another note, Mr Heartland wanted more screen time. He's going to regret asking me by the end of this chapter.**

 **Beware the moon references.**

* * *

"How do ya think you're gonna die?"

Shark, taking a slurp out of a soft drink Yuma had bought him at the baseball game, nearly choked on his drink. "What?"

The three of them were seated on a tour boat travelling up and down the Chicago River. They weren't really listening to the man with the megaphone though.

"I wanna go out in an explosion" Yuma told him "You know, so people can say I went out with a bang."

"That's sick" Shark told him "Who thinks about that?"

"I'm going to die on the moon."

Shark and Yuma stared at Kaito, who had just spoken, the younger boy having a thoughtful look on his face.

"The moon?" Shark frowned "Why?"

"I'm going to be the first human victim of interstellar travel" Kaito proclaimed "My name will appear in a textbook with a twelve-line cautionary story."

"What does your boyfriend think of that idea?" Shark was somewhere between joking and filled with morbid fascination.

Kaito rolled his eyes at Chris' title, but otherwise continued his line of thought. "Oh, Chris is going to be there. He's going to bring my body home and write a novel all about it. It'll become the first fully-factual Hollywood space movie."

"Did you draw straws to see who would die and who would write the book?"

"No – he's a better writer than me."

"That's so cool!" Yuma looked at Kaito with stars in his eyes "I wanna die like that! Can we trade deaths?"

"No" Kaito stared back at him, unimpressed "Get your own death."

"Who plans out their own deaths?" Shark scoffed "I don't know about you, I'd rather live."

"We've all go at some point" Kaito pointed out.

"You don't know how you're going to die, Shark?" Yuma seemed surprised.

"Oh, I already know" Shark didn't seem very happy it "I'm going out Bonnie-and-Clyde style with Rio. She'll rob a bank or something and persuade me to help her. Then we're be shot to death in our car or Rio will drive us off the side of the Grand Canyon."

"That's Thelma and Louise, not Bonnie and Clyde" Kaito pointed out.

"I don't think she cares" Shark admitted "She just wants to go out with the biggest middle finger to society possible. You know Project Mayhem or worse."

"But how to _you_ do what to die?" Yuma asked "You want to die your sister's accomplice?"

"I don't want to die" Shark told them.

"Would you want to live forever, then?" Kaito suggested.

Shark considered that for a long moment. "No, I don't think so. But I don't want to _think_ about it. I just wanna…live, you know."

Kaito shrugged. "It's not a stupid idea."

"Yeah! I like living too!" Yuma agreed "Everyone should want to live as long as possible!"

They continued the ride in silence, the guide yelling through his megaphone about the Willis Tower again, when Kaito found something of his own to say.

"This is all well and good, but have either of you seen a MacDonald's?" he asked.

"Hungry so soon?" Shark joked "A little while ago you were ready to puke over pancreas, and then over nachos."

"If I don't eat soon, I'll make sure to puke all over that car of yours" Kaito threatened.

Shark's face turned ashen again. Behind him, Kaito thought he saw a familiar red Ferrari go whizzing down the street on the opposite bank at an unholy speed, but he didn't dare draw Shark's attention to it. He was probably mistaken anyway. There were lots of cars in Chicago after all.

"Lean over the railing and grab a fish!" Yuma suggested "We can share it!"

Kaito looked over the railing of the boat and considered the option quite tempting.

* * *

With Yuma not making an appearance at the BArian, Mr Heartland guessed the little brat was hiding at home. He drove over to the Tsukumo house immediately. He knew that the Tsukumos had an elderly relative living with them, who should be able to confirm whether or not he was home, so the first thing Mr Heartland did was ringing the doorbell.

To his surprise, it was Yuma's voice who answered.

"Who is it?"

"You damn well know who it is, Tsukumo!" Mr Heartland was dangerously close to yelling, but it _had_ been a very long day for him "I'd like to have a word with you."

"I'm sorry I can't come to the door right now" Yuma's voice told him "I'm very ill and I'm afraid, in my weakened condition, that I could take a very nasty tumble down the stairs and subject myself to further school absences."

It sounded like he was reading from a script. No doubt his big sister had written it for him, if Mr Heartland had to guess.

"Rubbish, get down here!" he ordered.

"You can reach my parents at their place of business" Yuma's voice continued "Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your concern for my wellbeing. It will be remembered long after this illness has past."

"I'm not leaving until you come down and talk to me, Tsukumo!" Mr Heartland told him.

"Have a nice day."

The voice stopped. Determined to get Yuma downstairs and into his waiting clutches, Mr Heartland rang the doorbell again.

"Who is it?"

"Don't get smart with me, Tsukumo!" Mr Heartland scowled "Get down here, now!"

"I'm sorry I can't come to the door right now. I'm very ill and I'm afraid, in my weakened condition—"

Mr Heartland realised what we happening only at this point. The brat had wired up a tape recorder to play every time the bell rung. If only he used that intelligence for useful things. No doubt he was inside, laughing at Mr Heartland's incompetence at only figuring it out just now.

Well no longer. Mr Heartland couldn't wait to see the brat's face when he caught him with his pants down.

Not literally, hopefully.

He peeked in through the window into what appeared to be the kitchen. He could see a doggy-door on the opposite wall.

"I appreciate your concern for my wellbeing. It will be remembered long after—"

Mr Heartland got down on his hands and knees, peering in through the doggy-door. Right in front of him was the snarling face of a Rottweiler, foaming at the mouth.

Mr Heartland would always deny the pitch his scream rose to as he fled to get away from the angry dog which was, unfortunately for him, not secured to the inside of the house.

"Have a nice day."

* * *

Yuma and his friends had somehow come to a consensus to visit the art museum next, but decided to get a taxi to get there. To their dismay yet intrigue, however, their taxi got stopped because there was a parade going by. Apparently it was German-American Appreciation Day and parade floats covered with German beauty queens in short-shorts and high-knee socks were meandering down the road, surrounded by marching bands, drum and bugle corps, soldiers and school kids who were waving German flags and showing off their German pride. The figure skating clubs had joined forces with some street dancers to show off their moves to the beat of 'I've Been Looking For Freedom' on the pavements.

"Love to see you in those, Ryouga" Kaito joked, staring at the beauty queens' bizarre if slightly amusing outfits.

Shark was so stressed he didn't register the insult. "Whatever, can we go back to the car now?"

"What?!" Yuma looked at him in shock "We've got hours yet!"

"You may not care, but it's my ass that'll be in the fire if that car doesn't get home before my dad does" Shark told him.

"You think I don't care?" Yuma looked dismayed at the accusation.

"I know you don't" Shark snorted "You just want your fun."

Kaito sighed and pushed himself as far away from the bickering pair as the back seat of the taxi would possibly allow.

"But haven't you had fun too?" Yuma pointed out "We went up a skyscaper and saw four states and a submarine and a giant heart and a major league baseball game and we eat ate pancreas and are you okay? You look like you're gonna hurl."

Shark's eyes were wide, his whole body frozen as he looked out the far window. Yuma and Kaito turned their heads to see what had paralysed him so. Kaito saw it a split second before Yuma did.

"Shit" he swore, reaching his arm across the push both of Yuma and Shark's heads down.

"What's wrong?" Yuma asked. The only thing he saw out the window was another taxi.

"It's your dad, Yuma, in the next cab over" Kaito told him in a hushed voice "You still have that hat and sunglasses, right?"

"Uhhh…"

* * *

Kazuma Tsukumo was halfway between meetings and running late. He usually liked to enjoy walking around the city streets, but he was in a rush today and had forked out of a taxi (another one, that was. The previous one had inexplicable left him behind at the restaurant where he was meeting the clients).

Reading down his broadsheet, he got a sudden nagging feeling in his chest. Like he just had to look over to the left. Looking out the window, all he saw was a taxi. In the back seat appeared to be a lone passenger – a man wearing a fisherman's hat, sunglasses and a trench coat. He was no doubt a pensioner on his way back from a fishing expedition up north. Kazuma admired people who chose to be active in their retirement, rather than sit between four walls and watch the goggle box all day.

* * *

"What's he doing?" Yuma asked, looking up at Kaito, the only one sitting upright.

"He's licking the window and making obscene gestures" Kaito replied calmly.

"WHAT?!" Yuma launched himself upwards to see if the rumour was true.

"I'm joking! Get down!" Kaito hissed, trying to shove Yuma's head back down again "He's looking this way!"

* * *

Kazuma looked back across at the taxi again. It now appeared the old man was jumping up and down in his seat. Maybe he was _going_ on a fishing expedition and couldn't wait to get there. Kazuma admired the man's athleticism – his mother couldn't jump around like that without breaking a hip.

With a sigh, he looked down at this broadsheet again. On the back of the paper was a small section with a large headline:

LOCAL COMMUNITY RALLIES AROUND SICK YOUTH

* * *

A few streets away from the school, Kotori was staring in horror into the distant sky, shaking her head slowly. On the town water tower, the word 'HEARTLAND' had been crossed out and replaced with 'SAVE YUMA TSUKUMO' in giant blue letters.

Kotori knew her brother could be persuasive, but this took the cake.

"I'm gonna microwave his nuts" was all she could say.

* * *

After the near-miss with Mr Tsukumo, it had been decided to abandon the taxi. Somewhere in the crowd of German flags and German pride though, Yuma had moved out of sight of the other two.

"I thought you had your eyes on him!" Kaito hissed, dragging Shark through the crowd in search of their comrade.

"He's probably ditched us and gone back to school" Shark muttered.

"Don't be an ass, you know he wouldn't have done that" Kaito scolded him "We just need to—"

"Hello Chicago!" a familiar voice reverberated through every speaker on the street "This song here is for my friend Shark, who doesn't think he's had fun today! Let's show him how fun Chicago is!"

Shark just stared in wonder at the parade, wondering how the hell Yuma had pulled this one off.

Kaito just groaned with resignation. "You've got to be kidding me."

Up on top of the biggest parade float of them all was Yuma, rocking out and leading the German beauty queens in a rousing version of Danke Schon. Neither of them were aware Yuma even knew the words to that song.

"Yuma, get off that float!" Kaito yelled, pushing through the crowd and chasing after the parade float, but his arms were too short to allow him to climb up onto it. Before he could make any progress, police picked him up by the arms and dropped in on the other side of the barricade.

"Let's just follow it" Shark suggested, starting to recover from his shock "He's gotta get off at some point."

* * *

Back at the Tsukumo house, Mr Heartland was peering in through the kitchen window again, glaring at the Rottweiler that was chewing up a fancy shoe by the doggy door.

"That's $50.00 dress shoe you mutt!" the dean of students hissed.

The Rottweiler just growled at him through the window.

* * *

Down at the Port of Chicago, life was much more boring and missing any parade floats. Workers were stalking around with heavy crates and a bunch of ratty street kids were playing marbles on the smooth concrete. A dark shadow passed over them, causing them to look up in confusion, wondering if there was a low-flying plane overheard or something.

It wasn't a plane.

A red Ferrari California flew over their heads, accelerating off the roof of a warehouse and launching itself into the air, whizzing across the sky like it was trying to recreate the opening shot in Star Wars. The Starship Ferrari. Behind the wheel appeared to be a young man with orange hair, a huge smile on his face and purple eyes wide. He appeared to be having the time of his young life.

The street kids looked at the flying car with exhilarated smiles, their eyes following it across the sky until it landed perfectly onto the roof of another warehouse and drove out of sight.

* * *

The parade song had changed from Danke Schon to Twist and Shout, which Shark found pretty ironic since he was pretty sure that was a British song. The crowd had surged forward over the police barricade as Yuma leaned down to high-five people as he went past. Shark and Kaito had found that, due to this surge, behind the crowd was a big enough gap to allow them to walk without pushing through crowd of people, so they could keep up with Yuma's parade float with relatively little difficulty.

"Hey Kaito" Shark finally spoke up after walking in silence for several minutes "Do you believe in reincarnation?"

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "You're feeling deep today."

Shark flushed red with frustration. "No! I mean, you were talking about how you were gonna die earlier. You think that's just it? After that, you just blink out of existence? Or do you, like, reincarnate or something?"

"Of course you do" Kaito told him smartly "I already know who I was in my previous life."

"Let me guess, Einstein" Shark rolled his eyes.

Kaito stared at him like he was stupid or something. "Don't insult me. Isaac Newton."

Oh. Shark couldn't recall which one Newton was. He'd dropped out of physics for a reason.

"What about you?" Kaito asked "You know who you were?"

"I was probably a corn stalk" Shark grumbled "Getting walk all over by the farmer and his tractor all the time."

"I don't know about you" Kaito admitted, looking back up at the parade float Yuma was on "But I think I know who Yuma used to be."

"Guten Tag, everyone!" Yuma yelled into his microphone, motioning like he was going to try surfing the crowd next.

"Hannibal" Shark told him.

"From the A-Team or the serial killer?" Kaito frowned.

"Nah, the guy who rode the elephants into Switzerland" Shark corrected him, a little smug he'd thought of someone Kaito didn't know.

"I think if he was anyone, he was Magellan" Kaito told him "The guy who went around the world. I could see him ignoring popular belief and taking off on some impossible mission."

Shark had to admit, that was a good one. "Yeah; as long as I've known him, everything works out for him. There's nothing he can't handle. I can't handle anything. School, parents, the future. Yuma, he can handle anything."

Yuma had now abandoned his crowd-surfing idea and was playing Twist and Shout on the accordion, with help from one of the German beauty queens. Someone had put a German flag into his hair.

"The future's worse for a boy, isn't it" Kaito remarked.

Shark frowned at him, uncertain what he meant.

"A girl can always bail out, have a baby and get some guy to support her" Kaito continued "Pretty grim, but it's an option. No options at all is worse."

"At least you're smart enough that you've got it all figured out" Shark shoved his hands in his pockets "I don't know what I'm gonna do."

"College" Kaito suggested.

"I guess, but to do what?" Shark remarked.

"Well, what are you interested in?" Kaito asked, starting to feel like a counsellor now. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"Nothing" Shark told him, looking back at the parade again "What do ya think Yuma's gonna do?"

The Beatles' famous song ended, Yuma did the splits and the crowd went wild.

* * *

Mr Heartland was still trying to figure out a way to get into the Tsukumo house when a delivery man pulled up. He readjusted his glasses as he balanced a huge floral arrangement on his knee, flowers tickling his grey hair. He strolled up towards the porch, the huge bouquet hiding his view of Mr Heartland, who was sat on the porch patting his bloody knee with a handkerchief.

"Hello sir!" The delivery man happily chirruped to Mr Heartland when he saw him, hoping up the steps to the front door. Mr Heartland didn't reply, too focused on the holes in his expensive trousers.

The delivery man rang the doorbell, and Yuma's automated message began to play.

"Who is it?"

"Durbe, from Flowers On Wings" the delivery man declared "I have a delivery for a Yuma Tsukumo."

"I'm sorry I can't come to the door right now. I'm very ill—"

"It's a recording, moron" Mr Heartland tried to be helpful. Tried.

"—and I'm afraid, in my weakened condition, that I could take a very nasty tumble—"

Durbe frowned at Mr Heartland. "Do you have a problem?"

"—down the stairs and subject myself to further school absences—"

"He's one of my students" Mr Heartland told him, nodding towards the house with his head.

"—You can reach my parents at their place of business. Thank you for stopping by—"

"Poor little guy's dying" Durbe explained.

"—I appreciate your concern for my wellbeing. It will be remembered long after this illness has past—"

Mr Heartland wrinkled his nose with a frown. "What?"

"I heard it from the mailman that the poor kid was supposedly born with only one kidney" Durbe told the dean of students.

"—Have a nice day."

"Thank you" Durbe told the voice behind the door, then continued to Mr Heartland "I don't know the details myself. But my boss had to send to Milwaukee to get more orchids. He's very popular."

Mr Heartland just stared up at the young man, flabbergasted.

"Nobody's home?" Durbe asked.

"No" Mr Heartland told him sulkily.

"Are you going to be hanging around for awhile?" Durbe asked.

"I imagine so" Mr Heartland sighed, feeling like he was being encouraged into a game of twenty questions.

"Can you keep an eye on these flowers then?" Durbe requested.

Mr Heartland looked at the enormous array of flowers, then back at Durbe, as if the man was senile. Apparently Durbe took that as a 'yes'.

"It really touches me that so many people are rallying around this boy" Durbe said with a happy sigh "I guess there's hope for the human race after all." He handed the arrangement over to Mr Heartland. "Well, I've got to go."

Mr Heartland watched the young man get back in his van and drive away. Out of curiousity, he glanced at the card placed neatly between the flowers of the arrangement, wondering which student's life he was going to have to make miserable.

He swore under his breath as he read it, the paper bending between his fingers.

 **All our best for a speedy recovery – The English Dept. Faculty and Staff**


	6. Screaming

**As this is the shortest chapter so far, I propose a game of Spot the Cameo. The one who names the most about of Zexal characters that appear in this chapter, named or otherwise, using a review gets a special mention in the title section of the final chapter, which comes out tomorrow. Guests are welcome to play too.**

 **On another note, I regret not naming Shark's car - it's practically a member of the main cast now.**

* * *

At Heartland Academy, the senior class was slumped on the floor of the boys' locker room, recovering from gym class. Tetsuo had turned on a radio to blast some music, hoping that the music would somehow seep into their aching bones and muscles and return them to human beings again.

To everyone's disappointment, the music stopped and the DJ began talking at length again.

"I don't know who that was or what they were playing but I apologise for it none the less. Now, I have a guest with me today…"

"Tetsuo, change the station" Tokunosuke groaned.

Too tired to argue, Tetsuo sat up and shuffled over to where the radio was propped up on a bench.

"His name is Toma Tsukumo."

Tetsuo reached towards the nob to change the frequency.

"Hey, it's Yuma! _Yu_ ma Tsukumo!"

Tetsuo paused at the sound of a familiar voice coming from the speakers.

"Yuma. Sorry about that."

"Nah, it's cool."

"It's Yuma!" Tetsuo laughed "Yuma's on the radio!"

Everyone looked up in at least vague interest.

"What?" Takeshi summed up everyone's thoughts.

"Come listen, he's on the radio!" Tetsuo motioned for them all to come closer.

Everyone now shuffled towards the radio, Tetsuo turning it up as loud as possible so they could all hear, Yuma Tsukumo's voice bouncing off every wall.

* * *

Across town, Yuma's Rottweiler had been having a very unpleasant day. After fending off a potential burglar, the dog was now lying unconscious on the lawn, piece of ceramic vase scattered around its head. It was clear the ceramic vase the flowers for Yuma had come in had been used it knock it out.

Mr Heartland grinned down at the dog with satisfaction. "Sleep tight, pooch."

BANG!

Mr Heartland startled, looking into the house where he heard the bang. He grinned with excitement, his eyes dancing in the anticipation of revenge – Yuma must be in there after all! Well, it was time for this tomfoolery to end!

The grin had turned slightly unhinged as the dean of students at Heartland Academy crept in through the doggy door again.

* * *

No one could say Kotori wasn't dramatic.

With a grand flourish, she kicked the door to Yuma's room so hard it nearly flew off its hinges. Storming over to the bed, she yanked back the duvet to reveal the pillows below.

"I knew it!" she cheered with excitement, reaching up the bed and yanking the recorder with Yuma's snoring playing from out of hiding.

This was it! This really was it! She could finally bust that guy's head! He'd never recover from this!

She quickly ran to her own room and picked up the phone in there, dialling her mother's work number.

"Is Mrs Tsukumo there?" she asked without even letting the receptionist say hello "Where is she?...This is her daughter…No, not the journalist one…Do you know where she is?...Do you know when she'll be back?...Do you know _anything_?"

In frustration, she slammed the phone down. She'd just have to wait until her mother returned the office or home.

"I swear that guy has more lives than a cat" she scowled

CREAK!

Kotori startled at the sound of a noise from downstairs. A smile then broke across her face. Yuma must be back. Forget, Mom; _she_ was going to bust his head right now!

She crept down the stairs, making it into the living room without making a peep. Ready to see the shocked look on Yuma's face, she rounded the corner into the kitchen with a massive slasher grin on her face.

She screamed.

She'd come face to face with someone, and it wasn't Yuma. In her panic, she didn't recognise it as being Mr Heartland, who was equally shocked that it wasn't Yuma that had come around the corner. All she registered was that it was a man, it was an _older_ man and he was _in her kitchen_!

Without thinking, she dropped into a karate stance and kicked Mr Heartland in the face. With a shriek, she then ran back upstairs, locking her bedroom door behind her and hiding in the wardrobe.

* * *

On the east side of town, Mrs Tsukumo had just finished showing the couple from Vermont around one of the houses up for sale. Their young son was still in the car, listening to Yuma on the radio.

"Well that's quite the extraordinary story, young man" The DJ was saying "I don't suppose you could stick around and take a few guest calls."

"I'd love to!" Yuma cheered excitedly "But my friend's really worried about his car. Kaito says he's going to pass a bladder stone if we don't leave soon. And I've got a kidney transplant in about an hour."

Mirai and her clients took one last look at the house.

"If you're willing to commit a little time and money to this place, you can really have something to be proud of" she told them "Don't let the black living room throw you off."

She opened the car door to let the couple in first.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck in your recovery, young man" the DJ said.

"Thanks Mr Gauche sir!"

"Well that's that from that very interesting young man Yuma Tsukumo."

Just as Mirai got in the car, the radio changed to playing a song instead.

"Well, young man, how are you holding up?" Mirai asked the young boy as they pulled away from the curb "It must've been a long flight from Vermont."

The boy didn't say anything, just shrugged like he wasn't bothered.

"Did I tell you I have a daughter about your age?" Mirai asked.

"Twice" the boy informed her, earning a disapproving look from his mother.

"I think you'd like Lily" Mirai continued on like the boy hadn't said anything "She doesn't have that many friends, unfortunately. Just that one Orbital boy. I suppose she always has her sisters and Yuma, but it's not quite the same."

The boy sat up at the mention of Yuma's name.

"Is he really a test subject for the government, testing out terrorist poisons so that doctors can learn the symptoms of them before their victims die?" he asked.

Mirai frowned. "Who?"

"Yuma" the boy clarified.

Mirai seemed confused, shooting the boy a curious look. "No. Why?"

The boy deflated in his seat. "I knew he was bullshitting."

"Watch your mouth!" his mother immediately scolded him.

"How do you watch your mouth?" the boy shot back cheekily "It's under your eyes."

"Do you know my son?" Mirai asked, still hung up on how his boy had reacted to her son's name.

"Don't pay attention to him" the boy's father immediately cut in "He thinks it's cute to bait adults."

"I don't think it's cute" the boy corrected him "I think it's fun!"

"That enough, Tron" the father scolded him, bringing silence over the car.

Mirai just shot the boy a puzzled smile and turned onto Main Street.

* * *

Meanwhile, hiding in her wardrobe, Kotori was frantically trying to get a hold of the police. She was in a panic, but the dispatcher was hardly being helpful.

"This is not a phoney phone call!" she insisted "There's an intruder, male, Caucasian, possibly armed, certainly weird, in my kitchen!" She paused as she finally received a more promising reply. "My name is Kotori Tsukumo."

There was a much longer pause as the dispatcher replied, and Kotori nearly crushed the phone in her hand as said response.

"Look, it's really nice that you hope my brother is feeling better, but I'm in danger, okay?!" she all but yelled into the phone "I'm very cute, I'm very alone and I'm very protective of my body! I'd rather not have it violated or killed! I need help!"

* * *

Down in the kitchen, Mr Heartland was pugging his nose with a paper towel, not entirely sure what had happened. It was like all his reasoning abilities had gotten kicked right out of his head.

"Excuse me!" a strangely familiar voice (though not Yuma's) called down the stairs "If whoever's in the house is still in the house, I'd like you to know that I just called the police! If you have any brains whatsoever, you'll get your ass out of my house pronto!"

Mr Heartland was struck dumbfounded, still dazed and not entire sure what was going on.

"I'd also like you to know I have my father's shotgun!" the voice called again "And a scorching case of herpes!"

Mr Heartland just stared in the direction of the stairs in wonder. Finally he worked out what was going on, and fled the house by the doggy door, only to stared in shock at what was happening outside. His prized car, parked in front of a fire hydrant, was being hooked up to a tow trunk, the windshield decorated with dozens of parking citations.

In the distance, sirens began to wail.

* * *

After much pleading, begging and threats from Shark, our glorious main trio was back in the garage where they had left the car. An anxious (for Shark) ten minute wait later, the Ferrari came whooshing down the exit ramp, screeching to a halt in front of the trio. Shark nearly passed out.

The same guy from this morning, Rei, jumped out of the passenger seat and Yuma handed him the parking stub.

"What was your top speed coming down that ramp?" Yuma asked "It look like it was going pretty fast."

"About 60" Rei announced matter-of-factly.

"Awesome!" Yuma proclaimed.

Handing Rei another dollar, Yuma opened the door and moved the passenger seat forward for Shark.

"This is probably the last time you'll have to ride back here, Shark" Yuma told him "Unless Rio decides to rob a bank with it and you have to sit in the back to guard the money and—"

"Kaito drives home" Shark decided, getting in the back seat with a sense of trepidation.

Yuma frowned disappointedly. "Shaaark! You don't trust me?"

"Kaito drives home" Shark repeated through gritted teeth.

"I don't have a full license, idiot" Kaito pointed out.

"KAITO DRIVES HOME!"

"Fine, whatever" Kaito rolled his eyes, pushing past Yuma to get into the driver's seat "You big baby."

Yuma sulkily agreed to get into the passenger seat and the Ferrari finally vacated the garage and took to the streets of Chicago (again, but the trio didn't know that).

"What's next then?" Kaito asked as he drove.

"Nothing" Yuma told him "We return the car to Shark's dad. We promised Shark after all."

"We could go to my house" Kaito pointed out "My father won't be home until night-time, if he comes home at all. Haruto can walk back with some friends if I call him."

"We have enough cash for a quick flight to Peoria and back" Yuma joked.

"Very funny" Shark grunted.

Kaito looked in the mirror and changed lanes. He glanced back at the speedometer and then back at the road. And then back down at the speedometer again.

Kaito suddenly hit the brakes, bringing the car to a halt instantly in the middle lane and jolting all of the car's occupants in their seats. If they hadn't been wearing their seatbelts, they'd be launched halfway to Mexico.

"I'm suddenly regretting letting you drive" Shark groaned.

"The light's green" Yuma pointed out the next traffic light as an army of car horns blared behind them.

Kaito's entire body went rigid, his voice shaking slightly. "Ryouga? How many miles were on this thing again?"

"One hundred and twenty six and halfway between three and four tenths" Shark recited "Why? How many miles are on it now?"

Leaning over Kaito's seat, he peered at the odometer, Yuma doing the same from the passenger side.

432.7

"And here's where he goes berserk" Kaito muttered under his breath.

Shark screamed so loudly, Kaito had to throw is hands over his ears to prevent his ear drums from bursting. The scream suddenly cut off midway.

"Shark?" Yuma looked back at his friend, concerned.

Shark's entire body was frozen in place, hands gripping the back of the driver's seat, eyes bugged out and mouth open in a silent scream. He wasn't moving. He appeared to be having a psychological breakdown.

"Alright! Alright! I'm going!" Kaito yelled back at the honking drivers behind them and the car started to roll forward again.

"Shaaaark?" Yuma tried again to rouse Shark from his statue-like form, but the boy didn't even blink.

"He okay back there?" Kaito asked, unable to see the frozen Shark from where he was sitting.

"Maybe?" Yuma wasn't sure "We'll fix it. Let's go back to your house first." Yuma turned back to Shark. "Shark, are you okay? It's no problem, really. Your old man won't know a thing. It's completely fixable."

"Shut up" Kaito suddenly growled.

Yuma looked at Kaito in confusion. "He didn't say anything."

"No, I mean _you_ shut up!" Kaito told him, his voice just a step away from being truly angry "It is a problem! For him, it's a problem. Not for you – nothing's a problem for you. But it's a problem for him. So just shut up before I really get angry with you."

Stunned into silence, Yuma just stared straight ahead at the road, feeling really worried for the first time that day.

* * *

Kotori was still hiding in her wardrobe when she heard the doorbell downstairs ring.

"Who is it?" Yuma's automated message began to play.

"Anybody home?" was the reply.

Kotori jumped out of the wardrobe, running down the stairs towards the waiting arms of her rescuers.

"I'm sorry I can't come to the door right now—"

"I'm saved!" Kotori cheered "Thank you, God! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

She jumped the last few stairs and slid to the front door, opening it with a relieved smile.

"Thank…you…" Kotori's jaw went slack as she saw her 'rescuers'.

Durbe the delivery man was back along with a tall, long-haired man who face resembled a horse's, arms filled with floral arrangements. All around them were even more flowers. Also on the porch was a sexy singing nurse and a balloon man.

Kotori just blinked at them all.

And then the nurse began to sing.

"We hope you're feeling better, We hope you're feeling fit, We—"

Kotori slammed the door in their faces.

* * *

Several streets away, Mr Heartland was attempting to get back home without the use of his car. The school day was almost over by now, in fact the junior school was already being let out.

Just as Mr Heartland was wondering which route would be shortest, the junior school bus pulled up beside him. Kids were hanging out of the windows as from the bus poured the sound of three dozen kids shouting and seventeen radios all playing different songs. It was like a top forty montage.

"Hey, Mr Heartland!" a kid yelled at him "What's happened to you?"

Mr Heartland kept walking, ignoring them.

"Did you get into a fight?" someone else asked.

Mr Heartland still didn't respond, so he was surprised when the bus stopped beside him and opened it's door.

"You want a lift?" the driver, who had some weird combination of yellow hair with red highlights, offered.

Mr Heartland took a few more steps before stopping. Even if he was taken hostage but the kids and their driver, it would be quicker and less painful than trying to walk him with only one shoe. Taking a deep breath, he climbed abroad the bus.

The bus was absolutely packed with preteen kids, all staring at him in silence as he moved down the aisle towards the only seat available – the centre seat on the back row. He reluctantly sat between two kids – probably about eleven years old or something – as the eyes of every kid on the bus followed him.

"Hey, Mister."

Mr Heartland looked at the girl still next to him. The resemblance was obvious – she was the youngest of the Tsukumo clan. Unless they kept multiplying (please no, God, please no).

"Bet you've never smelt a _real_ school bus before" she said with a conniving little smirk.

Mr Heartland turned the boy on his other side. It was that kid who always wore the red-rimmed glasses and hung around with the Tenjos a lot. Orbital…something? Mr Heartland was sure he was Haruto's best friend.

"Would you like a gummy bear?" Orbital offered, putting one his mouth as he spoke "They've been in my pocket. They're really soft and warm."

Mr Heartland stared vacantly at the boy for a few more seconds, before meeting eyes with the rotund girl in the row before them, who'd turned in her seat to stare at him. Ponta, Gilag's little sister, definitely. She leaned forwards, her eyes wide and focused, like she'd seen so much more than he did that he didn't _want_ to see.

"It's kind of like being in the belly of the beast, isn't it" she said.

The bus began to pull away, and the shouting and top forty montage from seventeen different radios started up again.


	7. Helping

**From the shortest chapter to one of the longest. Wow this has been a wild ride! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited, followed or even just read this story.**

* * *

"Kaito, he's still not moving."

Kaito wasn't legally old enough to drink beer. But then again, it wasn't like his father was checking those rules were being followed so he had no qualms about sipping a beer as he sat in his father's jacuzzi back at the Tenjo house. Yuma, sitting next to him, had been wolfing down some Oreos, but was now staring worriedly at Shark, who was still catatonic. They'd placed in a patio chair at the edge of the jacuzzi so they could monitor him, but the guy was still frozen in the exact same position he'd been in when he first saw the odometer, mouth hanging open and arms outstretch, fingers gripping an invisible chair back (they'd had to force his fingers from the driver's seat with copious amount of butter, which Kaito was sure wasn't going to come of the white seats very easily).

"You feel any better, Ryouga?" Kaito tried.

"The water's really nice, Shark" Yuma told him "I wish you could come in, but Kaito says you'll drown. Sharks like swimming, right?"

Shark kept staring into space, motionless from the outside.

Kaito and Yuma looked at each other. Yuma offered Kaito an Oreo, which Kaito took. Kaito in turn offered Yuma his beer, but Yuma wasn't a big beer drinker.

"Do you this is because of the car, or a combination of everything bad in your life so far?" Yuma tried asking.

Shark continued to stare into space. Kaito couldn't work out if the guy was breathing or not.

"You just can't deal with anything bad life throws at you anymore, is that it?" Yuma suggested "The car took you into the red zone? Time for a reality check?"

"Hey, Ryouga?" Kaito attempted to held after one more swig of beer "I could flip really easy too. Not hard when you're hanging around this guy." He nodded his head towards Yuma, in case Shark could still see. "Nothing wrong with it. At one time or another, everyone needs a time out."

"Maybe he really was sick" Yuma guessed "Maybe he wasn't kidding himself."

Shark remained catatonic.

"Alright then, fine" Kaito sighed gripping the leg of Shark's patio chair "You're a shark, right? Swim."

He pulled the chair leg forwards and over the lip of the jacuzzi, tipping Shark into the water.

"SHARK!" Yuma yelped, jumping to his feet on his seat in the water, as if that was somehow going to help his stricken friend.

Without missing a beat, Kaito gripped the back of the purple collar and pulled Shark's head out of the water. He gasped for air, blue eyes darted back in terror.

"Shark! You're awake!" Yuma cheered.

Shark suddenly started screaming, continuing the unbearable scream that he'd let out when he saw the odometer.

Kaito shoved his head back under the water.

"Kaito!" Yuma protested.

"He can stay under there a little longer" Kaito decided, taking another swing of beer that finally emptied the bottle.

* * *

Kotori's rescuers did in fact rescue her, a few minutes after the unwelcome visitors on her porch had left. Granted, not to rescue her, but to arrest her. She was now slumped in a seat outside of the sergeant's office, a punk kid in the seat next to her. He looked like Yuma's friend Shark, if Shark had pimp cousin from Mexico. It didn't help that was guy appeared to be studying her.

"Drugs?" he suggested.

"No thank you" she told him "I don't do that kind of stuff."

"No, I meant are you _here_ for drugs?" he explained.

Kotori stared at him. "Why are _you_ here?"

"Drugs" he told her smartly.

"I don't know why I'm here" Kotori admitted.

"Then why do you go home?" he asked.

"Why don't you put a thumb up your butt" Kotori responded with.

The boy chuckled amusedly. "You want to talk about your problems?"

"With you?" Kotori stared at him like he was mad "Are you serious?"

"Deadly" the boy promised.

"Screw yourself" Kotori scoffed, turning so she was facing away from him, arms folded and legs crossed at the knee.

The boy also crossed his legs, tapping his other foot against the ground. He didn't look judgemental or curious, just want to help.

Kotori looked back over her shoulder at him. "You really want to know what's wrong?"

The boy shrugged.

With a sigh, Kotori turned she was facing straight ahead on her chair again. "Alright, if you've got the time, I've got the troubles. In a nutshell, I hate my brother. How's that?"

"That's cool" the boy commented "You shoot him or something?"

Kotori's jaw tightened. "No, not yet."

The boys nodded like he understood the emotion.

Kotori took a deep breath. "I went home to confirm the jerk was ditching school and a guy broke into the house and I called the cops but they don't believe me and they picked me up for making a phoney phone call."

"What d'ya care if your brother ditches school" that was apparently the only thing he picked up from her entire monologue.

"Why should he get to ditch school when everyone else has to go" she pointed out.

" _You_ could ditch" he pointed out also.

"I'd get caught" she told him.

"So, you're all pissed at him because he can ditch and not get caught, right?" the boy guessed.

"Bascially" Kotori admitted.

The boy nodded knowingly.

"What?" she demanded "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Then the problem is you" he told her.

Kotori squawked with outrage. "Excuse me?"

"Excuse you" he replied with "You oughta spend a little more time dealing with yourself and a little less time worrying about your brother. It's just an opinion."

Kotori stared angrily at him. Partly because he was so bold and partly because he was absolutely right.

"You know, there's someone you should talk to when you have problem" the boy suggested.

A vein pulsed in Kotori's forehead as she realised where this exchange was going. "If you say Yuma Tsukumo, you're losing your nuts."

The boy smirk with amusement again. "Oh, so you know him?"

* * *

VROOOM!

The trio was sitting on some boxes in the corner of Shark's garage, watching the car's wheels spin. The handbrake was on and a brick was on the gas pedal, the car set in reverse gear as the back of it was propped up on a jack.

"The whole time, I was just thinking it over" Shark was telling the others "I was, like, meditating. I was thinking about the future. And I realised, it doesn't matter at all if it all goes wrong in the present."

"Yup!" Yuma agreed, still scarfing his way through Kaito's snack cupboard. Now he was on to chocolate digestives.

"Really?" Kaito asked, curious about this epiphany Shark had had whilst catatonic.

"I've been thinking all day, that if you could only have the use of one word, what would it be?" Shark admitted.

"You're think about words when there's a dripping-wet, half-naked Kaito Tenjo in front of you?" Yuma questioned "I mean, how many girls would beg to be in your position right now? What would you _sister_ do for it?"

"Don't remind me" Shark groaned, turning to Kaito "She had secretly-taken pictures of you pinned up in her bedroom."

Kaito wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Lovely."

"You should savour this moment so you can gloat at her later" Yuma told him "That way, you can bribe her out of the Bonnie and Clyde car chase."

"How am I supposed to bribe her when it's a memory that's only in my head" Shark pointed out.

"Bathroom."

Yuma and Shark stared at Kaito, who had just spoken.

"On the right, just through that door at the top of the steps" Shark told him.

"No, that would be my word" Kaito told him "Food and water can be found with common sense, but how many times do you need to ask for directions to the bathroom in a lifetime?"

"That's a good one" Yuma nodded "I think mine would be…"

"Cash?" Kaito guessed.

"Love" Yuma finished "Making sure people know you love them is the most important thing of all."

"You guys are both wrong" Shark told them "It's the only word you can _ever_ say."

"Hello?" Kaito suggested.

"I still think love" Yuma decided.

"But what if you loathe someone?" Kaito pointed out "Are you going to say 'love' to them every time you see them?"

"It's better than 'hello' or 'bathroom'" Yuma sulked.

"Hello's generic" Kaito stated.

"You wanna spend your whole life being generic?" Yuma stared at him.

"It's help" Shark cut in.

Shark smiled at his wisdom. Kaito thought about it and admitted it was a good choice. Yuma still thought 'love' was a better one.

Shark got up and moved over to the Ferrari to check the odometer. "The word is help."

There was a pause, before Shark looked over at the pair again.

"Yuma" he said in a voice with thinly-veiled panic "The miles aren't coming off."

Yuma sighed and got up, stretching to release some sore muscles. "Well, I guess it's Plan B then: open the hood and roll it back by hand. Anyone know how to do that?"

"I've got a better idea. It's cool." Shark shook his head, walking around the back of the Ferrari "Seventeen years, and I'm going to finally take a stand. Now, I'm gonna do it. Take a stand against my family, against myself, against my past, my present and future. I'm not gonna stand idly by as events that will affect me unfold to change the course of my life. I will take a stand and I will defend it. When my father comes home tonight, he's finally going to have to deal with me. Good or bad, I'm taking a stand."

Yuma applauded. "Yeah! Go Shark!"

"Someone's a big U2 fan" Kaito commented.

"I'm taking a stand!" Shark proclaimed, kicking the bumper of the Ferrari for emphasis.

And then all hell broke loose.

Shark's kick knocked the car off its jack. It probably would've run him over, if the knock also hadn't shoved the gear stick from reverse into first gear. The Ferrari squealed out of the garage, ignoring the input of the handbrake like it wasn't event here, a cloud of blue tired smoke bellowing out of the garage after the car. A $50,000 unnamed investment went flying off the driveway, across the road and towards a tree-covered ditch.

In shock, Kaito and Yuma looked between the car and Shark. The eldest Kamishiro twin looked strangely placid about the impending disaster. Kaito and Yuma were waiting for someone to pull the rug out from under their feet.

The Ferrari crossed the road, bounced over the curb and plunged head-first into the ditch, only it's back end sticking up to show where it had landed with an almighty thud.

Kaito and Yuma exchanged baffled looks, then looked at Shark. He appeared to be proud and bold.

"What was that about?" Yuma asked.

"This has to be a dream" Kaito muttered.

"Shark?" Yuma was still confused and concerned "One quick question. Why did you do that?"

Shark held his posture for another heartbeat. Then a look of bewilderment came across his face. Then he shot a look at Yuma; a very puzzled look.

"You trashed the car" Yuma told him, not sure if Shark was aware of what he'd done.

Shark looked across the street at the back end of the Ferrari, still sticking up in the air with the wheel spinning wildly.

"Why?" Kaito asked, staring between Shark and the car like he was watching a very bizarre tennis match, seeing who would break first.

"I took a stand" Shark told him.

"No, Shark" Yuma said "You trashed a car. I mean, it was awesome but…you trashed a car."

Shark thought for a moment and both of the other boys expected him to have a nervous breakdown again. But instead, he regained his confidence with a shaky breath.

"It's okay" he told them.

Yuma glanced across the street at the Ferrari. It's wheels fianlly stopped spinning in midair, the brick coming loose from the gas pedal.

"I have an idea" Yuma told him "If you're interested."

Shark looked at him and shook his head. "I'm gonna handle this."

"I think this could work" Yuma insisted.

"No thanks, Yuma" Shark decided "I want to deal with it by myself."

"What about your one word?" Kaito pointed out.

"You already did it" Shark said "If I need it again, I'll use it." He smiled, raising an eyebrow. "It's cool. I'm good."

* * *

"She's never been in trouble before" Mirai told the police sergeant across the desk from her "This is a shock to me. First, I don't know why she wasn't at school. Second, I don't know why she'd call with this story about armed intruder."

"Well, for whatever reasons she did it, I think she's had a good scare today" the sergeant, an older man with mischievous eyes, told her.

"I hope so" Mirai agreed "I appreciate you calling me. I can assure you me and her father will have a long talk with her." Mirai gathered her handbag and jacket and stood. "Thank you Sergeant Jinlong."

"Oh, by the way, Mrs Tsukumo" Sergeant Jinlong added "I hope your son's feeling better."

Mirai stared at the sergeant curiously, wondering how he knew her son was off sick from school. Had Kotori mentioned it?

"Tell him, all of the guys at the station are pulling for him" Sergeant Jinlong told her with a wink.

Still a little bewildered, Mirai left the office, only to walk in on her daughter and some juvenile delinquent kissing. Mirai nearly choked, which got the pair's attention. They quickly separated, Kotori wiping her lips and sitting up straight, the boy crossing his leg over his lap.

"If you can keep this to yourself" Kotori told him quietly "I think we can get along pretty good."

"For sure" the boy agreed.

Kotori stood up and faced her mother. "Hi, Mom."

"Don't 'Hi Mom' me, young lady" Mirai told her "Get your things."

Kotori reached down for her bag.

"Hey, what's your name?" the boy asked.

"Kotori Tsukumo" she said "What's yours?"

"I'm Alit."

* * *

Leaving Shark to contemplate the remaining minutes of his extremely short life, Yuma decided to walk Kaito home. Kaito's house was only a few streets away from Shark's, and on the route to the Tsukumo residence, so it was hardly a bother.

"So, you had a great time today, huh?" Yuma nudged Kaito in the side with his elbow.

Kaito just shrugged.

"Come on! You were having the time of your life!" Yuma insisted "Next year, you have to go on more adventures! You should take III and Shark's sis. And my sis too if you want. God knows she needs to unwind at times."

"You think Shark's going to be okay?" Kaito asked "We've not going to hear of the news this evening that a teenager got taken to hospital after having a heart attack, are we?"

"Sure, he'll been fine" Yuma assured him "He just had to do it, I guess. Get all the tension out. His old man had it coming anyway. Rio will back him up, anyway. I'd be worried if he'd taken my idea."

"You didn't have an idea" Kaito pointed.

"I did too!" Yuma insisted.

"You were making that up to bluff him into standing up for himself" Kaito told him "You may as well keep going. It'll be quicker if I just take the back road here, hop over the garden fence."

"Alright then, you look after yourself" Yuma told him.

Kaito didn't say anything as he trudged off down the dirt track that ran parallel to his house.

"Hey, Kaito!" Yuma yelled after him "Best friends for life, okay?! Love's the most important word!"

Kaito just waved back at him, but the twitch of a smile of his lips reassured Yuma he'd taken his message to heart.

"He's gonna be just fine next year" he decided.

With Kaito gone, Yuma hurried to get back home. School would be letting out soon, and there was no way he was letting Kotori catch him out of the house. He vaulted a person's garden fence, then a gnome, then over another fence into the next garden. He approached a pool, ran along the diving board and flipped off the end of it, landing on the grass on the other side and vaulting the next garden fence.

He darted across a road, a car honking at him as he did so. Kazuma sat in the driver's seat, stared after him as he barrelled through a hedge in amazement, before reassuring himself that surely that wasn't Yuma. Yuma was tucked in bed, very ill. There was no way he could be vaulting fences if he was that ill. Turning the next corner, he pulled up to the house, just following Mirai and Kotori. Akari would be picking up Lily from a friend's house when she got off work.

Yuma ran through the neighbour's hedge into his own back garden. Twisting the kitchen door handle, he was surprised to note it was locked. Shrugging it off, he lifted up the welcome mat to retrieve the spare key.

Only an imprint of a key remained under the doormat.

As Yuma wondered what the hell was going on, a dress shoe entered his field of vision. He stared up in horror at Mr Heartland, who was holding the spare key to the house.

"Looking for this?" the dean of students asked.

Yuma stood up with a big smile. "Yes."

"I've got you, Tsukumo" Mr Heartland told him "This time, I've really got you."

Yuma thought frantically for a reason to be outside his house looking for a key to get in, but his mind was coming up blank. Mr Heartland was almost salivating with glee – he knew circling back to the Tsukumo house had been a good idea.

"So" Mr Heartland sneered gloatingly "How does another year of high school sit with you?"

Suddenly the back door opened. To the surprised of both of them, it was Kotori staring out at them. She looked between Mr Heartland and her brother, before grabbing her brother in a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank god you're alright!" she all but sobbed "We were worried sick!"

Yuma was too stunned to think of something to say. Mr Heartland too was gobsmacked – he thought Kotori hated her brother with the burning passion of a thousand suns.

"Thank you for bringing him home, Mr Heartland" she thanked the man stood by her back door, then turning to her brother, who she finally released from her hug "You better get upstairs and right into bed, young man!"

Still pretty confused, Yuma limped into his house, pretending to groan in agony every few steps (not all of them were pretend – Kotori hugged hard apparently).

"Can you imagine someone as sick as Yuma trying to walk home from the hospital?" Kotori shook her head, keeping up the act for Mr Heartland "Kids, right?"

Mr Heartland just stared at her, stunned beyond belief.

Kotori raised her hands and struck a karate pose, a hug smile on her face. Mr Heartland's jaw dropped, a look of terror coming over his face as he realised that it was Kotori had kicked him, and then Kotori knew it was him she had kicked.

Kotori stepped back into the house, slamming the door in the face of a very defeat, dejected and utterly baffled Mr Heartland's face. Not only had he lost Yuma, but now he had Kotori to deal with next year.

Just as he was about to walk away, dejected, he heard a familiar growl by his knee. Mr Heartland couldn't even bring himself to scream. He just squeezed his eyes and prepared for the impact of Rocket Rottweiler.

* * *

When Kotori came back into the house, Yuma was drinking orange juice right out of a two litre bottle from the fridge, sweating from his mad dash across town.

"Thanks, Kotori" he told her.

Kotori shrugged. "It's not problem"

"No, really, thank you" he told her sincerely "You saved my bacon back there. You're gonna be a real Tsukumo, you know that?"

"Well, it's about time I sucked it up and accepted the family heritage" Kotori sighed dramatically "You might wanna head upstairs now – Mom and Dad are talking out in the drive."

The pair of them moved out of the kitchen and into the foyer, which was packed with floral arrangements, plants and gifts. Yuma wondered how they even gotten into the house.

"By the way, I borrowed some money from your room" Yuma told his little sister "Akari stopped leaving anything out anymore. I'll pay you back."

"You don't have to" Kotori told him.

"I want to" Yuma insisted.

"No, you really don't have to" Kotori laughed "I've been ripping off your wallet for years."

Yuma shot her a proud smile as they moved carefully between the plants and up the stairs, leaving Mirai and Kazuma's line of sight just in the nick of time, as the parents themselves chose to step into the house just then.

"Sorry I've been riding your buns for so long" Kotori told her brother, genuinely sincere.

"It's completely cool" Yuma shrugged. He'd never had a problem with his sister being such a hardass. Of course, if she was changing course, that was infinitely better.

"Yuma!" Mirai called up the stairs "We're home!"

Yuma immediately put on a squeaky, sickly voice. "Upstairs, Mom!"

They arrived at Yuma's doorway, which was flung open from when Kotori had all but kicked the door open.

"Hey, by the way" Kotori stopped him "You know a guy called Alit?"

"A bit" Yuma admitted "It's been a while. He's been sorting himself out lately."

"Is he cool?" she asked.

"He's cool" Yuma nodded "Stay away from his brother though. He's a real psycho."

Leaving Kotori in the hallway, Yuma shut his bedroom door behind him. He brushed the crumbs off his hands and peeled off his shirt and jacket before climbing into bed. He hadn't even been in bed a second when the bedroom door opened and Mirai and Kazuma walked in. Mirai sat down on the edge of the bed, and Yuma regained the same deathly face he'd had on that morning: tongue out, eyes bulging.

"Honey?" Mirai called to him like he was a million miles away, not there on the bed next to her.

"Yuma?" Kazuma asked "How do you feel?"

Yuma let out a deathly gasp. "150% better, thank you."

Kazuma and Mirai continued to hover over him with deep concern.

"I'm much better, really" Yuma insisted "Please, don't make me stay home from school again. I want to go to school. I'm graduating in June and I—"

"Yuma, you're sick" Kazuma frowned "There's no point pushing yourself and making it worse."

Yuma coughed weakly. "Maybe you're right, Dad…"

A little smile crossed Kazuma's face. "You know I'm right."

Mirai leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "How did you get so sweet?"

"Years of practice" Yuma smiled.

Kazuma patted Yuma on the head, and then the pair left the room.

Yuma went down his mental checklist of things he had to sort out, and came up with only one item left from Akari's guidebook to ditching.

 **Final step: Once a successfully ditch has been completed, chill out, relax and know you're awesome**

Yuma let out a happy sigh, tucking his hands behind his head. Kotori wasn't so wound up, Shark was standing up for himself, Kaito was opening up more and Mr Heartland had gotten his butt kicked. All and all, it had been a good day.

The phone beside his bed rung. Yuma picked it up before it reached a second ring, in case his parents came to investigate.

"Hello?"

"Yuma? What's this about you being sick?"

Yuma laughed; it was Astral. "I guess Misty called you, huh? It's alright, man, I was just ditching."

Yuma heard an audible sigh of relief from the other end of the phone. "Again Yuma? You know I don't approve of you purposely baiting Mr Heartland. I understand your sister is terrible influence—"

"Come on, man, I went on adventure!" Yuma cut him off "Shark and Kaito came too! We saw four states and a submarine and a dead baby in a jar and we ate pancreas!"

Astral went silent, like he couldn't believe that in the one day since he left town Yuma had done all that.

"Can I hear about it?" he finally asked.

Yuma grinned. For all Astral moaned about Yuma breaking the rules, he was always eager to hear stories of Yuma's adventures once they were over. Yuma was determined to take the guy on their own adventure that summer – one that didn't involve break any of Astral's precious rules.

"How long have you got?" Yuma asked.

"…I don't think anyone else will be needing the phone any time soon, if that's what you meant."

Yuma sat against the headboard, the world seeming sunny all around him. "Well buckle up, buttercup, it's gunna take a while! This was the adventure of a lifetime!"


End file.
